Its lid is marble that carries its name Franciscus and lies under a replica of the cross, silver, who accompanied him a good part of his life and his papacy.
The moment of the burial of Pope Francis
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Cardinal Camarlengo Kevin Farrell presided over the act of the grave.
Vatican Media
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Vatican Media
Why Pope Francis chose to be buried in the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor
The legacy of papa Francisco He will be remembered for his renovating spirit and for the numerous precedents he left. From his choice in 2013 as the first South American and Jesuit Pontiff to His last will About his final rest, Jorge Mario Bergoglio opened unpublished paths in the history of the Catholic church.
His death on April 21, to 88 years, reflected its innovative character again. Francisco decided to be buried in the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor, breaking with the tradition that, since 1903, took the potatoes to rest in the Vatican caves under the San Pedro Basilica.
The rupture with a custom of more than a hundred years was not accidental, since Francisco wanted to leave a message. Until now, from the funeral of XIII lion in the Archibasilica of San Juan de Letránall the pontiffs had been buried inside the Vatican.
Pope Francis’s request
The decision to choose the Basilica de Santa María la Mayor It has deep roots. Throughout his pontificate, Francisco He visited this temple before leaving and returning from each apostolic trip, praying before the image of the Virgin Mary, revered as “Salus Populi Romani” (protector of the Roman people).
In his testamentdated June 29, 2022 and revealed after his death, recorded this intimate connection: “I want my last earthly trip end precisely in this old sanctuary Mariano, where I always stop to pray at the beginning and end of each apostolic trip. ”
The document also describes how, during your papacy, He came there “in prayer at the beginning and end of each Apostolic tripOr, to confidently entrust my intentions to the immaculate mother and thank her her docile and maternal care. ”
Regarding the specific place of his grave, Francisco chose a small enclosure behind the sculpture of the Queen of Peacea space that was previously allocated to the storage of candlesticks.
The sepulcher adapted following its express desire: built directly on Earth, without special ornamentations, and only with registration “Francis“In Latin. This decision reflects the same austere lifestyle that marked her pontificate, during which she chose to reside in the Santa Marta house instead of the traditional Apostolic Palace.
