Vatican mass for deceased George Pell late on Saturday
The Vatican mass for George Pell will be held at 11.30am local time in Rome today, which is 9.30pm AEDT today.
The mass will be held at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, the same church where the funeral for former pope Benedict was held last week, Australian Associated Press reports.
Pope Francis will give a final commendation for Pell, Australia’s most senior Catholic, who died in Rome this week aged 81.
Mourners gathered in St Peter’s square for the funeral of the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on 5 January. Photograph: Valeria Ferraro/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock
In keeping with tradition for deceased cardinals, the mass will be said by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Italian Giovanni Battista Re, and the Pope will give the final blessing and commendation.
The cardinal will also be remembered in a funeral at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, before being interred at St Mary’s crypt, but no date has been set.
NSW premier Dominic Perrottet and Victoria’s Daniel Andrews ruled out holding state services for the former archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney.
Andrews said on Thursday a state funeral or memorial would be distressing for victim-survivors, but the cardinal’s legacy would be for others to judge.