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What makes Pope Francis' funeral different from his predecessors'? All about beloved pontiff's humble burial
Pope Francis will be the first Pope to be buried outside the Vatican in more than a century.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died on Monday at the age of 88 following a prolonged health battle. As papal funerals are typically held four to six days after a pontiff's death, the Vatican announced on Tuesday that Francis will be laid to rest on Saturday. However, his last rites will significantly differ from his predecessors.
Here's how Pope Francis' funeral will be much different from his predecessors
In the last couple of years before his tragic demise, Francis made changes to his will, revealing his final wishes for a humble burial. The late Pope, who was the first Jesuit and Latin American pontiff, chose Rome's St. Mary Major Basilica as his place of burial instead of St. Peter’s Basilica. This decision would make him the first Pope to be buried outside the Vatican in more than a century.
“I have always entrusted my life and my priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy,” he wrote in his will, shared by the Vatican on Monday. “Therefore, I ask that my mortal remains rest awaiting the day of resurrection in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.”
Additionally, unlike the previous popes, Francis opted out of the traditional three interlocking papal caskets made of cypress, lead, and oak. Instead, he chose a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc. With his humble requests, the beloved pontiff demonstrated his final act of humility, which was evident throughout his 12-year service as the leader of the Catholic Church.
Francis also shunned the tradition of placing the Pope's body on a raised platform in Saint Peter's Basilica for public viewing. While mourners would still be able to see his body to pay their respects, his body would remain inside a plain wooden coffin with the lid removed. “The tomb must be in the earth; simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus,” he further wrote in his will.
