Lower Austria in grief: Farewell to Pope Francis on Friday

Lower Austria in grief: Farewell to Pope Francis on Friday

St. Pölten, Österreich - on Easter Monday, April 24, 2025, Pope Francis died at 7.35 a.m. in the Vatican at the age of 88. His death marks a significant loss for the Catholic Church and for many believers worldwide. In Lower Austria, a festive funeral service is commemorated on Friday, April 25, 2025, in St. Pölten Cathedral at 6 p.m. At the celebration, which is celebrated by Diocesan Bishop Alois Schwarz, the ladies' choir of the cathedral music under the direction of Valentin Kunert will make music, supported by the soloists Therese Troyer and Johanna Gösswein, who let the audience dive into a contemplative atmosphere with Gabriel Fauré's "Messe Basse".

In addition to the local honors, numerous memorial events are also planned in other parts of Austria. In the Klagenfurt Cathedral, a requiem will take place on Thursday at 6.30 p.m. under the direction of Bishop Marketz. A memorial service will also be held in Feldkirch on Friday at 6 p.m. with Bishop Benno Elbs. The Linz Mariendom will organize a requiem with Bishop Manfred Scheuer on Saturday, April 26, at 6.15 p.m. The highlight of the Austria -wide memorial celebrations will be the great requiem in the St. St. Stephen's Cathedral, which will take place on Monday, April 28th, at 6 p.m. under the direction of Archbishop Franz Lackner.

commemoration and grief in the church

The diocese of St. Pölten has set up a digital condolence book in which believers can settle their sympathy and prayers for Pope Francis. Churches and church buildings in the region stand in black until after the burial and will ring the bells for ten minutes on the day of the burial. In all services, prayers for the soul salon of the late Pope.

Pope Francis is not only recognized for his spiritual depth and social engagement. The emeritus archbishop Cardinal Christoph Schönborn emphasized in a "little requiem" in the Vienna St. St. Cathedral that he had "died in the light of Easter secret". Schönborn recalled that both Francis and John Paul II died in Osteroktav. Francis, a "migrant child from Italy in Argentina", made a decision during his pontificate for universal fraternity and dialogue with other beliefs, which was expressed in the explanation of Abu Dhabi.

responsibility and legacy

Pope Francis died as a result of severe pneumonia, which shaped his last Easter, where he granted the blessing "Urbi et orbi". As an important leader of the Catholic Church, he has been in office since March 2013 and the first Latin American to take this post. During his tenure, he managed to promote a close connection between spiritual leadership and scientific work, which is also recognized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. This emphasizes Francis' commitment to climate protection, poverty control and peace.

his legacy remains a central topic for the Catholic Church, since the responsibility is located in the time of the Sedisvacanz at the Cardinal College with 252 members, of which 135 are entitled to vote.