Where will Pope Francis be buried? How his funeral will break from tradition
Pope Francis, who died April 21 at the age of 88, previously announced his intentions to be buried at the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, a break in tradition from popes of the past.
The pope's death comes just one day after a frail Francis greeted thousands in St. Peter's Square after Easter Mass in his open-air popemobile − and just weeks after a long hospital stay during which he battled bilateral pneumonia and other health issues. He was discharged last month to recover at his residence at Casa Santa Marta.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrant parents, Francis rose through the ranks as a Jesuit priest in his home country of Argentina. Elected in March 2013, Francis, who was 76 at the time, was the 266th pope, the first pope from the Americas and the first born outside of Europe in over a millennia. During his papacy, he was both praised and criticized for commenting on political issues, from immigration to LGBTQ issues.
Pope Francis left behind a rich legacy and before a successor is chosen, the last rites of the pope need to be carried out. Church doctrine calls for the pope to be buried four to six days after his death, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Popes are not autopsied. Funeral rites are celebrated for nine days after his death.
Where will Pope Francis be buried? A 'new ritual' takes place
The Vatican announced that the "rite of ascertainment of death" and placement of the late Pope Francis’ body in the coffin will take place Monday at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET).
In a break from tradition and by his prior request, the pope will be laid to rest in Rome's St. Mary Major Basilica instead of in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica, where many of pope's predecessors are buried, Reuters reported.
The pope, in an interview with Mexican news outlet N+ in 2023, had revealed he had already discussed preparations for a papal funeral with his master of liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli.
"We simplified them quite a bit," he had said, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reported at the time. "I will premiere the new ritual."
The pope had said he chose the Basilica of St. Mary Major as his final resting place because of his "very strong connection" with the site, he had said, adding he would visit St. Mary Major on Sunday mornings when he traveled to Rome before becoming pope.
"The place is already prepared," he previously said.
The pope's body is tentatively planned be transferred to St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday morning "so that the faithful may pray before his mortal remains," Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said.
Francis had also asked to be buried in a simple wooden casket.
Located at the summit of the Esquiline Hill, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major is one of Rome’s four Papal Basilicas. It is the largest Marian church in the city and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Seven Popes are buried in the Basilica, according to the church's website.
Contributing: Phaedra Trethan, Jeanine Santucci, Eduardo Cuevas, Paste BN
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.