Pope Leo to hold All Souls' Day Mass at Verano Cemetery in Rome

Pontiff to mark All Souls' Day with Mass at Campo Verano. Pope Leo XIV is to celebrate All Souls' Day Mass in front of the entrance to Campo Verano cemetery in Rome on Sunday 2 November. The service, commemorating all those who have died, will begin at 16.00, the Vicariate of Rome said on Thursday. All Souls' Day, a Catholic tradition of mourning the dearly departed, is known in Italian as the Commemorazione di tutti i fedeli defunti or more simply il Giorno dei Morti - the day of the dead. It is a particularly important day in Italy when relatives gather to visit family graves. Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, visited several war cemeteries on All Soul's Day, including the American Military Cemetery, the French Military Cemetery and the Rome War Cemetery. The capital’s three main cemeteries - Verano, Laurentino and Flaminio (Prima Porta) - will be open on 1 November - All Saints' Day - and 2 November from 07.30-18.00. City buses serving these cemeteries have been increased in the weeks leading up to 2 November. Photo credit: Stefano Tammaro / Shutterstock.com.