Central Requiem for Pope Francis: Memory in Berlin on Tuesday

Central nationwide requiem for late Pope on Tuesday in Berlin

On Tuesday, a central requiem will be celebrated in the Sankt Hedwigs Cathedral in Berlin in honor of the late Pope Francis. The German Bishops' Conference has announced that the chairman, bishop Georg Bätzing, will appear as the main celebrant and preacher. This non-public service is all about commemoration to the Pope, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.

The Apostolic Nuncio in Germany, Archbishop Dr. Nikola Eterović and the Archbishop Heiner Koch in Berlin will also take part in the celebration. The guests also include numerous representatives from political and church life that are invited to participate in this important event. The service is broadcast live on television by ZDF to offer the many believers the opportunity to take part in this farewell.

Pope Francis was severely struck and died after he had taken part in the Easter mass in the Vatican shortly before. The Vatican reported that the cause of death was a "brain strike" and an "irreversible cardiovascular collapse". His sudden death triggered grief and dismay worldwide, both within the Catholic Church and beyond.

On Saturday, a burial in Rome is planned, which is another important moment as part of funeral celebrations. In addition to the central requiem, memorial services or Eucharist will also take place in the German dioceses in many parishes to honor the deceased. The churches exhibit for the believing condolence books, which enable them to write down their grief and thoughts and to remember the Pope.

These commemorative celebrations reflect the attachment of the believers with their head and reaffirm the influence that the Pope had in his pontificate on the Catholic Church and the global community. In the coming days, the memories of his words and deeds will certainly come to the fore while the church says goodbye to an important leader.