By Catherine Pepinster
When world leaders gather for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, they will find out how to do diplomacy the papal way – giving a nod to different countries by way of prayers.
And amid all the languages used to remember the late pontiff, there will be one never before heard at a papal funeral: Chinese.
The order of service, which has been released by the Vatican, is 87 pages long, which indicates the Mass could last two hours or more.
The Pope’s open casket at St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
Four lines from the Prayer of the Faithful will make history. “For us gathered here, that having celebrated the sacred mysteries, we may one day be called by Christ to enter his glorious kingdom.”
These words, which will be read aloud in Mandarin just after the homily, reflect the late Pope’s ambitions regarding China, which were contentious among Catholics.
While US President Donald Trump, who will attend the funeral in St Peter’s Square, continues his battle with China over tariffs, the Vatican is smoothing its relationship with Beijing.
As a member of the Jesuit Order, Francis seemed driven to follow in the footsteps of its missionaries to pre-Communist China, and wanted to improve relations with Beijing.
But he drew sharp criticism from those who argued his overtures did nothing to help Catholics and other Christians practise their faith in the communist state.
Francis, one of the most widely travelled pontiffs in history, will also be remembered in prayers in French, Arabic, Spanish, Polish, German, Italian and English, which will also be used for a reading from the New Testament. The majority of the liturgy is in Latin.
Also highly significant are the prayers at the end of the funeral in Greek from the Byzantine funeral liturgy of the Eastern Catholic Churches, reflecting another of the Pope’s concerns during his 12-year pontificate – the faithful in troubled places such as Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and Eritrea.
Familiar liturgy
For Catholics around the world, the funeral Mass’s structure will be immediately familiar.
It follows the traditional pattern: the gathering of people, their call to God for forgiveness of their sins, readings from scripture, a homily, prayers of the faithful, the consecration of the bread and wine, the Lord’s Prayer, a sign of peace shared among the faithful, Holy Communion, and the dismissal.
Missing are the Gloria and the Creed, not essential and quite probably cut due to the length of the service.
Resurrection theme
All Catholic funerals focus on the resurrection of Jesus and the hope that the dead will one day rise again, but with Francis’s funeral held at Eastertide, this theme is particularly evident.
Resurrection is mentioned time and time again through the funeral service.
Bishop of Rome
The readings, unusually for a Catholic Mass, do not include an extract from the Old Testament.
Worshippers lined up at the Vatican during the three-day lying in state.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
Instead, there is one from the Acts of the Apostles – the New Testament book, with words by St Peter, the leader of the apostles, considered to be the first pope – and another from St Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Peter and Paul are considered the most important martyrs of the early Church, both executed in Rome.
Together, these readings remind people of Francis’ role as Bishop of Rome and the continuity of the papal office, stretching back to the founding of Christianity.
John Paul II
All the readings chosen, from Acts and St Paul’s letter to the Philippians and the Gospel, are the same as those read at the funeral of John Paul II in 2005.
The Gospel, from John 21, 15-19, has Jesus urging Peter: “Feed my sheep”. Both as bishop in Buenos Aires and as Pope, Francis wore a cross depicting Christ as the Good Shepherd.
The psalm The Lord is My Shepherd was also sung at John Paul’s funeral, as well as that of Benedict XVI at St Peter’s in 2022, nine years after he resigned as pope.
Psalm 129 – Out of the depths I cry unto you O Lord – will be sung as an antiphon before communion, as it was at Benedict’s service.
Holy Communion
For Catholics, the most sacred moment of the Mass comes when the bread and wine are consecrated and transformed into the body and blood of Christ.
Hundreds of priests will attend the Mass, which should help with the distribution of communion as efficiently as possible in the form of communion wafers.
Chalices of wine are likely only to be used for distribution among the clergy and those seated near the front, such as Catholic royalty.
Lord’s Prayer
A key ecumenical moment will be the reciting of the Lord’s Prayer, the most-loved prayer of Jesus, which can be said by Christians of all denominations.
Only those who are in full communion with the Catholic Church can receive Holy Communion.
Litany of the saints
After communion, Pope Francis will be commended to the mercy of God and then the saints will be called upon to pray for him.
The litany of saints will include the Virgin Mary; the apostles; Roman martyrs from the early days of the Church, including Laurence, Sebastian, Perpetua, Felicity, Cecilia and Agnes; and 18 canonised popes, including John XXIII, Paul XI, and John Paul II.
Music
There will be no hymns sung during the funeral. Instead, the music, sung by the choir of St Peter’s, will be plainchant.
The congregation will be invited to join in, singing key parts of the Mass, all in Latin, including the Lord’s Prayer, apart from Lord, Have Mercy which is always sung in Greek.
Last rites
After the litany of saints and the Byzantine funeral liturgy is sung, the coffin will be sprinkled with holy water (a reminder of baptism) and censed (a symbol of prayer wafting to heaven).
A final In Paradisum will sung before the coffin is returned inside St Peter’s Basilica and then taken across Rome to Santa Maria Maggiore for burial.
The Telegraph, London
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