Korede Abdullah in Lagos
Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday, is making history one final time by choosing to be buried outside Vatican City, a move not seen in over a century.
Rejecting the traditional burial beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis will rest instead in the light-filled Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, a place deeply meaningful to him. A report by BBC has disclosed on Friday.
His funeral will be held in St. Peter’s Square, followed by a procession to the basilica where he will be laid to rest in a simple tomb inscribed only with the word “Franciscus,” as per his will.
While seven other popes are buried at Santa Maria Maggiore, Francis will be the first in modern times to forgo a burial at St. Peter’s. Since his passing, the basilica has been flooded with mourners, drawn to the beauty and symbolism of the place that so profoundly shaped the late pontiff’s spiritual journey.
Santa Maria Maggiore, perched atop Rome’s Esquiline Hill, is one of the city’s oldest and most revered churches, glittering with gold, intricate mosaics, and historical legacy. Legend holds that its site was chosen through a miraculous August snowfall in 358, and every year, a celebration marks the “Miracle of the Snow.”
The basilica’s spiritual and historical significance was not lost on Francis, who often visited it before and after international trips, entrusting his journeys to the revered Marian icon, Salus Populi Romani.
Francis’ devotion to simplicity extended throughout his life—from riding public transit in Buenos Aires to rejecting the Apostolic Palace for a modest Vatican apartment. His burial plans, announced in 2023, reflect a lifetime of humility.
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