Catholic faithful in Tanzania have joined their brethren around the world in mourning Pope Francis.
This is the second time in 20 years that Tanzanians get to experience the death of a pope, the first having occurred around this time, in 2005 when Pope John Paul II passed away.
Apparently, Pope John Paul II was the only global head of the Catholic Church who visited Tanzania back in 1990.
In 2005 official mourning of John Paul II in Tanzania was held at an open-air mass at the Jangwani grounds in Dar-es-salaam city. It is yet to be known how Pope Francis will be mourned this year.
The country is now mourning the death of yet another Pope after two decades.
Now after the Vatican finally announced the demise of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, 2025, the successor to the Pontiff will once more be selected by a Conclave in the Church’s ancient and secret process that has been unchanged for hundreds of years.
Pope Francis has passed away in the Vatican aged 88.
The Bishop of Rome recently told aides he was ‘preparing’ for the end after being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.
It was then that a few tweaks were made to the succession process but in general, the Papal Conclave system has been unchanged for 1,000 years and will be used again to choose Francis’ successor.
Usually, the passing of the Pope has to be confirmed by a medic, their passing is only made official by the camerlengo, the Pope’s Chief of Staff.
The role of being head of the Catholic Church or the Bishop of Rome, is one that is taken on by an elected senior cardinal usually until their death.
Pope Francis was anointed in 2013 when he took over from Pope Benedict XVI who stepped back from the role due to ill health in an incredibly rare occurrence.
While millions of Catholics mourn the loss of Pope Francis, attention will also turn to the pontiff’s funeral and how mourners can pay their respects.
Francis asked that a number of ceremonial elements be set aside for his funeral.
This time the Pope’s body will not be raised on a catafalque in the Saint Peter’s Basilica for mourners to view in a further break with tradition.
Traditionally, a papal funeral is a complex, elaborate event, but Francis approved changes to simplify the procedure.
Pope Francis will be buried in a plain wooden coffin lined with zinc, unlike the previous three nested coffins made of cypress, lead, and oak.