The funeral arrangements following the death of Pope Francis have already began to emerge in the Vatican City. 

They will begin on Monday, April 21, at 8 p.m. local time (6 p.m. GMT) in his residence at Casa Santa Marta, where he died on Easter Monday.

A public wake is expected to be held on Wednesday at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. The pope’s body will be on display in an open wooden casket, instead of an elevated platform used by previous pontiffs.

President Javier Milei has said he will travel to Rome for the funeral, although the exact date and time is yet to be confirmed.

In the spirit of his papacy, Francis had made several changes to the Vatican’s funerary rituals last year in order to make them simpler and more austere.

According to Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Apostolic Ceremonies, the renewed rites needed to emphasise that “the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world.”

The rite of ascertainment of death — a ceremonial verification of the pope’s death by calling out his baptismal name three times — will take place in the Chapel of the pontiff’s residence in Casa Santa Marta, instead of the Apostolic Palace, the official papal residence. Immediately after that, Francis’ body will be placed inside the coffin.

That first ritual will be presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, the Holy See Press Office announced.This ceremony will be attended only by relatives of the late Pope and Vatican officials.

On Wednesday morning, the pope’s body will be transferred from Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter’s Basilica where his public wake will be held, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told the press.

Francis will not be buried in Saint Peter’s Basilica — the traditional resting place for past pontiffs — but instead at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, in Rome.

This story was updated to correct a previous unedited version