can you talk about the long mourning rites?

howisthepope:

Sure!
So there have been a few revisions of rites so some things have changed, because Pope Francis himself wanted to simplify the process

Preparation

• Ritiual pronouncement of death:
  this takes place in the the pope’s personal chapel. This is attended by the camerlengo, Kevin Farrell
  The pope will be dressed in red liturgical vestments and he’ll wear also his miter (headdress and a pallium woolen stole (the scarf-shaped thing).
  The Pasqual candle is placed nearby
• the camerlengo prepares a formal declaration of death and attached to it is a certificate prepared by the health service chief
• The master of liturgical celebrations, Ravelli, decides who can pay their respects before the public viewing
• The Litany of Saints is sung as the coffin is brought into the St Peter’s Basilica for the public viewing
• The night before the funeral, the camerlengo and the senior cardinals are present for the closing and sealing of the coffin. They also place a white cloth over his face and in the coffin they alo plce a bag of coins (minted during his papacy) along with a written account of his papacty. It is read out lout by the master of liturgical ceremonies and placed in a tube (another copy goes to the archives)

Funeral:

• the dean of the College of Cardinals leads the funeral (or the vice dean)
• He will be buried in the St Mary Major Basilica and not St Peter’s Basilica as most of his predecors

Novemdiales:

During 9 days of mourning, between the death of the pope and the conclave, the Protopriest of the College of Cardinals leads a mass every day in the St Peter’s Basilica for the pope.

The Vatican flags will fly half-staff during this time.