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Vatican City, Apr 24, 2025 / 13:46 pm
Following the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican has announced which cardinals will offer the traditional “Novendialies” Masses — nine days of mourning marked by solemn Masses offered for the repose of the soul of the deceased pope.
In keeping with ancient custom, each day of the Novendiales includes a requiem Mass following the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis (2024). While the Masses are open to the public, each day traditionally focuses on a particular community or group associated with the pope’s ministry from the Diocese of Rome to the Eastern Churches.
The first Mass of the Novendiales will be the funeral of Pope Francis, held on Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square with the nine days of mourning concluding on Sunday, May 4.
The second Novendiales Mass will also be in St. Peter’s Square with tens of thousands of young people taking part in the still-ongoing Jubilee of Teenagers, which had previously been scheduled to include the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis. The Mass the day after the funeral is also the Novendiales Mass in which all Vatican employees and their families are especially invited to attend.
Until May 4, the remainder of the Masses will take place in the evening inside of St. Peter’s Basilica, each presided over by a different cardinal and designated for a particular group in the Church. A minor change to the schedule was already announced with Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández replacing Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell for the sixth Mass on May 1.
Below is the full schedule of Novendiales Masses and the cardinals who will preside:
Day 1: Saturday, April 26 — Funeral of Pope Francis
Presider: Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals
Time: 10 a.m. | Location: St. Peter’s Square
Day 2: Sunday, April 27 — Mass for the Jubilee of Teenagers/for Vatican employees and faithful
Presider: Cardinal Pietro Parolin, former Vatican secretary of state
Time: 10:30 a.m. | Location: St. Peter’s Square
Day 3: Monday, April 28 — For Catholics and clergy in Rome
Presider: Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome
Time: 5 p.m. | Location: Inside St. Peter’s Basilica
Day 4: Tuesday, April 29 — For chapters of the papal basilicas
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Presider: Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica
Time: 5 p.m.| Location: St. Peter’s Basilica
Day 5: Wednesday, April 30 — For the papal chapel
Presider: Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, vice dean of the College of Cardinals
Time: 5 p.m.| Location: St. Peter’s Basilica
Note: Concelebration reserved for cardinals only
Day 6: Thursday, May 1 — For the Roman Curia
Presider: Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, former prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
Time: 5 p.m.| Location: St. Peter’s Basilica
Day 7: Friday, May 2 — For the Eastern Churches
Presider: Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, former prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches
Time: 5 p.m.| Location: St. Peter’s Basilica
Day 8: Saturday, May 3 — For institutes of consecrated life and apostolic societies
Presider: Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, former prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
Time: 5 p.m.| Location: St. Peter’s Basilica
Day 9: Sunday, May 4 — For the papal chapel
Presider: Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, protodeacon of the College of Cardinals
Time: 5 p.m.| Location: St. Peter’s Basilica
Note: Concelebration reserved for cardinals only
Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees. She is the author of “Blessed Carlo Acutis: A Saint in Sneakers” (Ignatius, 2023), https://ignatius.com/carlo-acutis-sscap/.
