On Monday, April 21, we started the period of the The Novendiales“, a nine-day period of mourning in the Catholic Church that begins after the death of a pope. This period of prayer and liturgical rites follows the papal death and precedes the election of a new pope. During the Novendiales, the pope’s body is displayed at St. Peter’s Basilica for the faithful to pay their respects.”
This novena has been prepared to help pray for the Pope during this time. The daily novena—lasting for the novendiales period as directed by the College of Cardinals—consists of a short reading from Scripture or some other ecclesiastical text and some brief prayers, including orations drawn from the Roman Missal and the Order of Christian Funerals.