Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff and a transformative figure in the Catholic Church, passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. In a move consistent with his papacy’s emphasis on humility and simplicity, Francis had long declared his intention to break with centuries of Vatican tradition by choosing to be buried not in the grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, but in Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. This decision, announced by the pontiff in 2023, marks a significant departure from custom and underscores his lifelong devotion to the Virgin Mary and his vision for a less ostentatious Church.
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The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Rome’s four major papal basilicas, holds deep personal significance for Francis. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he frequently visited the fifth-century basilica to pray before and after international trips, often in front of the revered icon “Salus Populi Romani” (Health of the Roman People). “It is my great devotion,” Francis said in a 2023 interview with Mexican news outlet N+, explaining his choice. He revealed that he had already prepared his tomb in a modest space within the basilica, reportedly a former storeroom for candlesticks, reflecting his preference for simplicity.
Historically, popes have been interred in the Vatican, with nearly 100 resting in the crypts beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, including Francis’s immediate predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who died in 2022. Since the completion of St. Peter’s in 1626, 24 of the 31 popes have been buried there. The last pope buried outside the Vatican was Leo XIII, laid to rest in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in 1903. Francis’s choice to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore, where six popes were interred between 1216 and 1669, revives a practice not seen in over a century.
Francis’s decision is part of a broader effort to simplify papal funeral rites, aligning them with his vision of a Church focused on humility and service. In April 2024, he approved an updated edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis (Funeral Rites of the Roman Pontiff), which streamlined the elaborate rituals traditionally associated with a pope’s death. Notably, he opted for a single zinc-lined wooden casket, rejecting the traditional triple-coffin practice of cypress, lead, and oak used for his predecessors. Additionally, his body will not be displayed on a raised catafalque during the lying-in-state period in St. Peter’s Basilica, but will remain in an open coffin, emphasizing a more understated farewell.
“This is another break with longstanding tradition, just like his decision not to live in the Apostolic Palace,” said Paddy Agnew, a Vatican reporter, in 2023. Francis, who resided in the simpler Casa Santa Marta guesthouse rather than the opulent papal apartments, consistently shunned the pomp associated with the papacy. His burial choice reflects this ethos, as well as his desire to be “buried like any child of the Church,” according to Vatican expert Ulrich Nersinger.
Francis’s health had been frail in his final years, marked by chronic lung issues stemming from the removal of part of one lung in his 20s and recurring bouts of bronchitis and pneumonia. In February 2025, he was hospitalized for 38 days with double pneumonia, yet he returned to public life, blessing crowds in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, just a day before his death at 7:35 a.m. in Casa Santa Marta. His passing, announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican’s camerlengo, triggered a nine-day mourning period and set in motion preparations for a papal conclave to elect his successor.
The funeral Mass, expected to be held in St. Peter’s Square within four to six days of his death, will follow the simplified rites Francis approved. His body will then be laid to rest in Santa Maria Maggiore, a final testament to his devotion to Mary and his commitment to a humbler Church. As the Catholic world mourns, Francis’s choice serves as a poignant reminder of his legacy as the “People’s Pope,” who sought to bring the Church closer to the marginalized and the poor.
World leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, have paid tribute to Francis, praising his compassion and advocacy for peace. As pilgrims gather in Rome for the ongoing 2025 Jubilee Year, the Vatican prepares for a historic farewell to a pontiff whose final resting place will forever mark a break with tradition.
