Pope Francis to be buried outside Vatican, breaking centuries-old tradition
Pope Francis will be the first pontiff in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican, a move not seen since the burial of Pope Leo XIII in 1903.
In a historic break from centuries of papal tradition, Pope Francis will be laid to rest about six kilometres from St. Peter’s Basilica, where nearly 90 of his predecessors lie, choosing instead a beloved Marian shrine in Rome.
The pontiff, who passed away on Monday, had long expressed his wish to be buried at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the four papal basilicas and the highest point in Rome, perched on one of the city's ancient seven hills. It is a church he loved dearly, often visiting it to pray before and after his apostolic journeys.
More To Read
“As I sense that the twilight of my earthly life is approaching, I wish that my final earthly journey concludes precisely in this ancient Marian shrine, where I go to pray at the beginning and end of every apostolic journey to faithfully entrust my intentions to the Immaculate Mother,” Pope Francis wrote in a testament dated June 29, 2022, released by the Vatican after his death.
CNN reported that Pope Francis will be the first pontiff in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican, a move not seen since the burial of Pope Leo XIII in 1903.
In preparation for his burial, Pope Francis amended a church document last year, making it possible for pontiffs to be buried outside St Peter’s Basilica — a significant departure from tradition. His final resting place will join the tombs of seven other popes interred at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, including Honorius III, Nicholas IV, and St Pius V.
Due to the distance between St Peter’s Basilica, where today’s funeral mass will take place, and his final resting site, a rare papal funeral procession will occur another historical moment in the rites surrounding a pope’s burial.
Pope Francis also left specific instructions for his tomb: it will be constructed from a simple Ligurian marble, sourced from the Italian region of Liguria, where his grandparents hailed from.
"It is a simple tomb bearing only the inscription 'Franciscus' and a reproduction of the Pope’s pectoral cross," Vatican News reported, noting that the Pope had emphasised simplicity in death, just as he had during his life.
The mayor of the Ligurian town, Enrica Sommariva, expressed her surprise at the Pope’s quiet but enduring connection to the region, saying, "Pope Francis often kept his connection to Liguriana private, so it was an unexpected honour."
According to Vatican officials, the choice of material described as "not a noble stone" but "the people's stone" is consistent with Pope Francis’s lifelong mission to champion humility and service.
"His wish was that a pontiff’s funeral be that of a pastor and disciple of Christ, not of a powerful man of this world," Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Vatican’s master of liturgical ceremonies, explained.
Top Stories Today
