Funeral Service for Pope John Paul II

VATICAN CITY, April 8, 2005 — -- The funeral Mass for Pope John Paul II begins at 10 a.m. local time today (4 a.m. ET) and will be celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, deacon of the College of Cardinals.

The funeral will take place at St. Peter's Basilica. The Mass is scheduled to last about 2 ½ hours and will follow this order:

-Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 10, verses 34-43, known as Peter's Speech

-The Psalm 22, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want"

-Letters of St. Paul to the Philippians, 3:20-24, "But our citizenship is in heaven"

-John, 6:40, "For this is the will of my father that everyone who sees the son and believes in him may have eternal life."

-John, 21:15-19, dialogue between Jesus and Peter, "Follow me."