Pope Francis had earlier said that he wants to be buried not in St Peter’s Basilica or its grottoes, where most popes are buried, but in the St Mary Major Basilica across town. This reflects his veneration of an icon of the Virgin Mary that is located there.
Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, according to a statement from the Vatican. “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow, 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. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God,” the Vatican said in a statement.
Know all about the funeral rituals of Pope Francis
Now the death of a pope has set in motion a series of carefully orchestrated rites and rituals well before the conclave to elect his successor begins. The rituals involve the certification of death and public display of his body for the faithful to pay their respects, followed by the funeral and burial.
It should be noted that Pope Francis had earlier revised various rites to simplify the funeral rituals to emphasise his role as a mere bishop and allowing for burial outside the Vatican in keeping with his wishes. But the core elements remain, including the three key moments that must be observed between the death of a pope and his burial.
Why did Pope Francis want to be buried at St Mary Major Basilica?
Pope had earlier said that he wants to be buried not in St Peter’s Basilica or its grottoes, where most popes are buried, but in the St Mary Major Basilica across town. This reflects his veneration of an icon of the Virgin Mary that is located there, the Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the People of Rome).
After every foreign trip, Pope Francis would go to the basilica to pray before the Byzantine-style painting that features an image of Mary, draped in a blue robe, holding the infant Jesus, who in turn holds a jewelled golden book.
“It’s my great devotion,” Francis told Mexico’s N+ in revealing his future burial plans. “The place is already prepared,” he had said. With the burial, the Catholic Church has started nine days of official mourning, known as the “novemdiales”, and the conclave begins.
Why were changes to funeral rites necessary?
While all popes often tinker with the rules regulating the conclave that elects their successor, a revision of the funeral rites hadn’t been undertaken since 2000.
The changes in the last rites became necessary after Francis expressed his own wishes and after Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI died on December 31, 2022. For Benedict, the Vatican had to work out the novelty of a funeral for the first retired pope in 600 years.
A few months later, Francis revealed he was working with the Vatican’s master of liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, to overhaul the entire book of rites to simplify them.
