Over 140 Parishes in Gwangju and Jeonnam to Hold Memorial Masses for Pope Francis

Gwangju Archdiocese to Operate Incense Altar from the 24th to the 26th
Papal Funeral Mass to Be Held at 5 p.m. on the 26th

Memorial Masses for Pope Francis, who passed away on the 21st (local time), will be held at more than 140 parishes in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju sent an official letter to each parish the previous day, requesting that they hold a memorial Mass on the morning of the 26th. The Archdiocese also stated that the date may be adjusted depending on the circumstances of each parish.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, mourners paid their respects at the underground chapel of Myeongdong Cathedral in Jung-gu, Seoul, where the funeral hall for Pope Francis, who passed away on the 21st (local time), was set up. Photo by Joint Press Corps

Previously, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea held a standing committee meeting on the same day and decided that each diocese would conduct its own memorial Mass for the Pope, and that the decision to set up incense altars would be left to the discretion of each diocese.

The Gwangju Archdiocese had initially decided not to set up an incense altar, but after receiving repeated requests for a prayer space for the Pope, it decided to operate an incense altar inside the cathedral of the archdiocese. The incense altar will be open from 9 a.m. on the 24th until noon on the 26th. During the same period, a memorial Mass will also be held at 9 a.m. each day at the cathedral of the archdiocese.

The funeral Mass for Pope Francis is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. (local time, 5 p.m. Korean time) on the 26th in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.