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Anyone can bid farewell to Pope Francis — bishop

The bishop noted that the date will be announced in consideration of the Easter period

MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. Anyone will be able to bid farewell to Pope Francis, as the ceremony will follow an open protocol, with the pontiff’s coffin traditionally displayed in St. Peter’s Basilica, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow Nikolay Dubinin told TASS.

"A funeral for a pontiff goes in accordance with a special protocol. The ceremony will be public. There will be time for farewell and prayer at the pontiff’s coffin, which is usually displayed in St. Peter’s Basilica. Then, every person will have the opportunity to come, to pray, to say goodbye to the pontiff," he said.

The bishop noted that the date will be announced in consideration of the Easter period. So far, no information about the date and time of the burial has been released.

Asked whether representatives of the Catholic Church in Russia would attend the pontiff's farewell, Dubinin clarified that no organized or protocolized presence is expected. "They will probably try [to attend the farewell]. This, of course, applies primarily to the bishops, but also to the faithful," he added.

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