On Wednesday, April 23, the brothers of the Via Rivarone community (Rome, Italy) participated in the solemn ceremony of transferring the body of Pope Francis from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The ceremony, presided over by Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrell, marked the beginning of the funeral rites for the Pontiff, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88.

The coffin, without the traditional catafalque, was carried in procession to the Altar of the Confession, in front of the tomb of St. Peter, fulfilling Pope Francis's wish to maintain simpler rituals. More than 20,000 people attended the ceremony, and the Vatican extended the basilica's visiting hours until midnight to allow more faithful to pay their respects to the Pontiff.

The tomb in St. Peter's Basilica will remain open until Friday, April 25, giving the faithful the opportunity to say goodbye to the Pope before the funeral, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, at 5:00 AM (Brasilia time), in St. Peter's Square. After the funeral, Pope Francis' body will be transferred and buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, in accordance with his wish to be buried in this beloved Marian shrine.

The brothers of the Via Rivarone community were able to participate in this significant moment, waiting for more than five hours to pay their last respects to the Pope on behalf of the Congregation.