Vatican marks final day of mourning for Pope Francis before conclave begins
CBSN
Sunday marked the end of a formal mourning period in the Catholic Church for Pope Francis, who died April 21 after 12 years in the papacy. He was 88. The pontiff's death catalyzed an extensive list of traditions dating back centuries, one of which is Novemdiales, a nine-day period of mourning that began with his funeral in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.
The schedule for Novemdiales included daily masses inside St. Peter's Basilica, each presided over by a different cardinal and dedicated to the late pope. Sunday's mass was headed by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, a senior deacon in the College of Cardinals that serves as advisers to the pope and steers the process of electing a replacement when the position is vacant.
Like most processions held throughout the mourning phase, hundreds of cardinals attended the final event along with crowds of laypeople who packed into the cathedral. The Vatican shared a livestream of the mass on Sunday as it has done every day of Novemdiales.
