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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Five arrested in Kerala's Walayar for beating to death Jharkhand native
Palakkad (Kerala) (PTI): Five people have been arrested for allegedly beating to death a Jharkhand native on suspicion of theft near Walayar here a day ago, police said on Friday.
The arrests were formally recorded late Thursday night and all the accused have been booked for the offence of murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, an officer of Walayar police station said.
The deceased -- Ramnarayan Bhayar (31) -- was working as a labourer in the Walayar area.
According to police, Bhayar was attacked by a group of men on Wednesday evening, alleging that he was involved in a theft at Kizhakeattappallam near Walayar.
As per the FIR, the incident occurred before 7.40 pm, and the injured Bhayar was rushed to the Palakkad District Government Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Police said a detailed investigation was underway to ascertain the sequence of events leading to the incident.
