On Monday, Pope Francis passed away at 88 after a stroke triggered a coma and heart failure, following a five-week hospitalisation for pneumonia.
The first images of his body were shared on Tuesday, revealing him in a wooden casket, clad in red vestments and his bishop's miter, as the Vatican secretary of state prayed over him in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, his residence and place of death.
In his will, Francis designated the St Mary Major basilica, outside Vatican City, as his burial site, where his beloved Virgin Mary icon resides.
He made it a ritual to pray at this basilica before and after international journeys, standing before a Byzantine-style painting of Mary in a blue robe, cradling the infant Jesus, who holds a jeweled golden book.
After a 38-day stay at Gemelli hospital, he visited the basilica on March 23 to place flowers before the icon and returned on April 12 for his final prayer to the Madonna.
The cardinals assembled on Tuesday in the Vatican's synod hall to outline preparations for the conclave to select Francis's successor, while condolences flooded in for the first Latin American pope.
They scheduled his funeral for Saturday at 10 am in St. Peter's Square, to be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.
Starting Wednesday, the faithful can pay their respects when Francis's casket is transferred to St Peter's Basilica.
Francis's final public moment came on Sunday, when he delivered an Easter blessing and circled St Peter's Square in his popemobile, offering his last wave to followers.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
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