Swiss dioceses prepare for Pope’s funeral

Switzerland's dioceses get organised for the Pope's funeral Keystone-SDA

Switzerland's dioceses are making arrangements for the faithful to attend the Pope's funeral on Saturday. Several public screenings are planned across the country.

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The funeral will be broadcast at 10am on Saturday from the church of Notre-Dame de la Paix in La Chaux-de-Fonds, followed by a Mass, according to the Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg. Its bishop, Mgr Charles Morerod, will celebrate a bilingual diocesan mass the day before in Fribourg.

In Ticino, two public screenings are planned. The Diocese of Lugano is inviting its faithful to attend in Hall B of the Lugano Congress Centre. Another screening is planned in Balerna, near Chiasso.

In German-speaking Switzerland, an appeal to ring bells has been launched in the canton of Lucerne. The choice is left to the parishes of Basel and Bern.

Big turnout in Rome

In Rome, the President of the Swiss Confederation, Karin Keller-Sutter, will be present, as will the Bishop of Sion, Jean-Marie Lovey, who will represent the Swiss Bishops’ Conference.

Lovey will celebrate a Mass in Sion Cathedral on his return to Switzerland on Wednesday. The Swiss Bishops’ Conference is also organising a memorial service on Tuesday at 6pm in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Bern.

Many world leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, will attend the funeral. At least 200,000 faithful, in addition to 170 foreign delegations, are expected in St Peter’s Square on Saturday.

Adapted from French with DeepL/mga

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