Pope Francis buried outside Vatican, breaking century-old tradition: Here is why

Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday. He was not buried inside Vatican City like most of his predecessors. He had chosen the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in his will for his final resting place. The Maggiore is located a few miles away from the Vatican.

According to tradition, popes are buried at St Peter’s Basilica. However, Francis made his wishes clear in his will. He had requested a plain tomb “in the earth, simple, without particular decoration” with only the inscription “Franciscus.” His funeral was held at St Peter’s Square. His body was then taken to the basilica.

According to his will, his burial cost was covered by a benefactor.

The basilica’s historic and personal significance

Santa Maria Maggiore is one of four papal basilicas in Rome. It holds historic as well as personal significance. It was commissioned in 431 AD by Pope Sixtus III. Santa Maria Maggiore is known for its mosaics, gilded ceilings, and Classical columns. It is located on Esquiline Hill, which is the highest point in Rome. The Maggiore is linked to the legend of the “Miracle of the Snow”. According to the legend, the Virgin Mary allegedly indicated the site through a snowfall in August 358 AD.

During his tenure as the pope, Francis often visited Santa Maria Maggiore to pray before and after foreign trips and hospital stays. The Salus Populi Romani icon housed in the Maggiore was special to him. In December 2023, he had wished to be buried at the basilica.

Departure from tradition

Seven popes before him were buried at Santa Maria Maggiore. He is also the first pontiff since Leo XIII, who died in 1903, not to be buried at St Peter’s Basilica.

Francis also refused to live in the Apostolic Palace. He stayed instead in a modest guesthouse within the Vatican. In Argentina, he used public transport as a cardinal and preferred a simple Ford Focus even after becoming pope. He also introduced several changes in papal funerals, which made the process simpler. His own burial followed the streamlined rituals that were approved by him during his time as the pope.

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