New York City Reacts To Death Of Pope Francis – 21 Apr 2025
(Vatican City, Italy) — Pope Francis’ body will lie in state in the St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican starting on Wednesday. There, the faithful can pay their respects to the late Pontiff, who died Monday at age 88. The Vatican announced that Francis’ funeral will be held Saturday. He will then be taken to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for entombment. He requested before his death to have his body placed there.
The College of Cardinals will soon hold several meetings at the Vatican to start the process of selecting a new pope. Conclaves are held in the Sistine Chapel and have historically lasted an average of four days. The candidate needs a two-thirds majority to become Pope. Ballots used in the last round are burnt and used to create smoke signals. Black smoke means a failed election while white means a successful one.
