CNN
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A ceremony that will lead to the transferring of Pope Francis’ coffin from his residence to St Peter’s Basilica, where he will lie in state before his funeral on Saturday, is underway.
Wednesday’s procession will begin with Pope Francis’ body being moved from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta residence, where he lived during his papacy.
The procession will travel through Piazza Santa Marta and the Piazza dei Protomartiri Romani, passing through the Arch of the Bells and into St. Peter’s Square, before entering St. Peter’s Basilica through the central door.
Prior to the procession, Camerlengo Kevin Farrell, the cardinal tasked with arranging the papal funeral and conclave, held a brief service in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta with a short antiphon of hope.
Once at St Peter’s Basilica, the Camerlengo will preside over a service, known at the Liturgy of the Word, that will allow attendees to pay their respects to the late Pope.
The faithful will recite several religious verses, including psalm 22, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd,’ during the service.
Attendees will also recite the litany of the saints and the Catholic customary prayers of the dead during the liturgy.
The service is expected to finish with the Marian Antiphon, a prayer to Jesus’s mother Mary.
At the conclusion of the service, the public will be able to pay their respects to the pope, whose body will lie in state at St Peter’s Basilica for three days.
For those who wish to visit the pope and pay their respects, the basilica will be open on Wednesday until midnight, on Thursday from 7 a.m. to midnight local time, and Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
