Pope Francis to be buried at Basilica of St. Mary Major
Vatican City: Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 at his residence in Casa Santa Marta, Vatican City, will be laid to rest on Saturday at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.
The basilica, one of the four major papal basilicas, holds personal significance for the late pontiff. He regularly visited the site for prayer, particularly after returning from apostolic visits abroad. This will be the first papal burial at the basilica since the 17th century, when Pope Clement IX was interred there.
The basilica also contains the tombs of seven other popes, early Christian saints including Matthew and Jerome, and the Renaissance artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini and his family.
In accordance with his wishes, Pope Francis will be buried in a simple grave with a single inscription and no elaborate decoration. The Vatican confirmed that his body may be temporarily transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, April 23, subject to the approval of the College of Cardinals, to allow members of the public to pay their respects.
The Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, has called for General Congregations to begin on Tuesday, in preparation for the upcoming Conclave. The Conclave to elect the next pope is expected to take place between May 5 and May 10.
Heads of state and official delegations from several countries are expected to attend the funeral. Both Italy and India have declared three days of national mourning.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was the first Jesuit and the first Latin American to be elected pope. He became the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. Throughout his papacy, he chose to reside at the Vatican guesthouse, Santa Marta, rather than the official papal apartments.
Hours before his death, Pope Francis attended Easter services and held a meeting with United States Vice President J.D. Vance.
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Delhi's maximum temperature settles at 41.9 deg C
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 41.9 degree Celsius, 1.5 notches above the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The minimum temperature settled at 25.9 degrees Celsius on Sunday morning, 0.6 notches below the seasonal average, the IMD stated.
The weather department predicted strong surface wind during the Monday morning, with the maximum and minimum temperature expected to hover around 44 degrees Celsius and 26 degree Celsius, respectively.
Relative humidity was recorded at 28 per cent at 5.30 pm.
The air quality was recorded in the 'moderate' category at 4 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 174, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
