The 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, April 21. The Pope died aged 88 after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest. He was suffering from a prolonged illness. Now the Vatican has shared that the funeral for the deceased Pope will be held on Saturday, April 26. The funeral will be held at 8:00 AM (GMT)
The Vatican also released the first images of Pope Francis following his demise, showing him lying in his casket while the Vatican Secretary of State prays over him.
The photos released by the Vatican showed Pope Francis lying in an open casket dressed in his vestments, in the chapel of his Santa Marta residence. Pope Francis lived there during his 12-year papacy.
After a 9 days mourning period for Pope Francis, Cardinals will gather in the Vatican to elect the next Pope.
