Pope Francis funeral: NOT Vatican, here’s where Pope Francis will be buried, unlike his predecessors
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, passed away at 88 after a critical health battle on April 21. The late head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, who had been in office since 2013, passed away following long battles with respiratory illnesses, kidney failure, and declining health.
Originally from Argentina, Francis was the first Catholic pontiff from the Americas. He began his career as a Jesuit priest in Argentina and later served as archbishop of Buenos Aires and a cardinal. He was elected as the Pope on March 13, 2013.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican’s TV channel, “Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”
On Sunday, Easter day, Pope Francis entered St. Peter’s Square in an open-air popemobile shortly after midday, greeting cheering crowds. He had also offered a special blessing for the first time since Christmas.
According to his death certificate released by the Vatican, Pope Francis died of a stroke, causing a coma and “irreversible” heart failure.
Following the passing of Pope Francis, the Vatican is preparing for a funeral that departs from long-standing traditions.
Here’s what we know so far about Pope Francis’ funeral.
Pope Francis’ funeral:
The funeral of the late Pope is to be held within four to six days and is led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals. As per the Vatican, Pope Francis’s funeral is to be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 AM local time.
According to a short statement, the funeral liturgy in St Peter’s Square will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals. The Mass will be concelebrated by Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and priests from across the globe.
But unlike his predecessors, Pope Francis won’t be laid to rest in the Vatican. Rather, following the liturgy, the late Pope’s coffin will be taken into St Peter’s Basilica, and then to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial, as requested by Francis himself.
Why will Pope Francis not be buried in the Vatican?
While most popes are buried underneath St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis decided in 2022 that he should be buried away from the Vatican, in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome.
But what persuaded the first Latin American pontiff to decide so?
The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God, holds deep personal significance for Pope Francis. It is where he had traditionally prayed before and after his international journeys, as per reports.
Pope Francis’ wish to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore makes him the first pope in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican.
‘Simplicity’, beyond life:
In 2022, Pope Francis announced his wish to forego many of the traditional and elaborate funeral customs observed for previous popes, and the Vatican revealed the changes in a new formal rite, which was published in November last year.
The pope will be buried in a single, zinc-lined wooden coffin, abandoning the centuries-old tradition of interlocking caskets made of cypress, lead, and oak. The decision reflected Francis’ commitment to simplicity and his broader efforts to modernise church traditions, as mentioned in a 2024 Reuters report.
On Wednesday, the coffin containing the late Pope’s body will be carried from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter’s Basilica, so that the faithful may pay their respects. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, will preside over the rite of translation on April 23, which will begin at 9:00 AM with a moment of prayer.
