Pope Francis' funeral date announced by Vatican as first images of his body released

Pope Francis' funeral has been scheduled for 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. EDT) on Saturday at St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican announced Tuesday, following a meeting of the College of Cardinals at the Catholic Church's city-state headquarters in the heart of Rome. The casket carrying the pope, who died Monday morning after suffering a stroke and heart failure at the age of 88, will be brought in a procession Wednesday morning, accompanied by cardinals, to St. Peter's from his residence at Casa Santa Marta, where he died.

The pope's body was laid to rest Monday in a casket in the chapel of his Santa Marta residence. The Vatican released the first photos and video on Tuesday of Francis in his casket, wearing a red robe with the papal mitre on his head and a rosary intertwined in his hands. 

The images showed cardinals and other church officials performing what the Vatican said was the formal Confirmation of the Pope's Death and praying over his body.