Pope Francis died on Monday. He was the leader of the Roman Catholic Church for 12 years. With this demise, a wave of mourning raged all over the world. The Pope’s death led to the beginning of centuries-old customs and traditions, which ended with a conference. The conference was a group of current 135 cardinal electors of the church, which was closed inside the Systine Chapel to choose the next Pope. Tributes are being paid from all over the world to the death of Pope Francis. Francis was known for his humility and concern for the poor.
The 88 -year -old head of the Roman Catholic Church marked out his 12 -year -old Pope. His funeral shows the Pope’s last wish that he should move away from the criteria and perform a simple ceremony. When the heavenly Pope Francis came to the balcony of St. Peters Basilica to deliver his first speech as the leader of the Catholic Church in March 2013, he wore ordinary white clothes instead of a royal armin-trimmed cape, commonly worn by the newly elected Pope, bypassing the formalities.
Why Pope Francis’s funeral will be separated
The funeral of the Pope is usually a wide program lasting several days. According to Sydney Morning Herald, it should be between four to six days of his death in the huge plaza, St. Peter Square outside the St. Peter Basilica. According to an article by the Daily Mail, after the Pope’s camelango, Cardinal Kevin Fareel officially confirmed the death, he sealed the Pope’s residence and began preparations for the funeral. Camelango destroyed the Pope’s ring of the fisherman, showing the St. Peter fishing by a boat to prevent any unauthorized use. A new ring is made when the next pope is chosen. Paarel and three appointed assistants will decide when the Pope’s body was placed in the coffin and when will be taken to St. Peter Basilica for public darshan. People around the world, including international leaders, are expected to come to Rome to pay their final tribute to Francis. Of the nine days of mourning declared by the Vatican, several days usually give mourning a chance to honor the Pope lying in the St. Peter Basilica.
Last year, Pope Francis simplified the funeral rituals of the Pope, which included the Pope in a high coffin in the St. Peter Basilica. Instead, they will be placed in a simple coffin for public philosophy. This simplification means “to emphasize even further that the funeral of the Roman Pope is of a shepherd and a disciple of Christ, not by a powerful person in this world,” Monsignor Diego Rveli, the master of the religious ceremonies of the Vatican, was quoted by the Associated Press (AP) last year.
Where will Pope Francis be buried?
Pope Francis has removed three coffins made of Saru, lead and oak, in which the previous pope was buried. Francis will be placed in a simple wooden coffin, and people who mourn can pay tribute to him, while his body will remain inside the open coffin, the BBC said.
Cardinals decide for the Pope’s burial date. Instead of the Vatican Grotose, the vault located under the St. Peter, where the Pope is usually buried, the final resting place of Francis is in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. This is the first time a pope will be buried outside the Vatican in more than a century. AP mentioned that her desire to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Magigore reflects her reverence for Virgin Mary’s symbol, Salus Populi Romani (salvation of the people of Rome).
Vatican analyst Katy McGurdi told CNN, “This is where Salus Populi Romani, his favorite Marian image and our lady’s image, Pope Francis used to go before every trip and go to see it on his return.” Francis first revealed his desire to be buried in Basilica in December 2023, saying he felt “very strong relationship” with it. He said, “I want to be buried in Santa Maria Maggore. Because this is my great devotion.”
Seeing the importance of this place, the Vatican correspondent of the National Catholic Reporter Christopher White told Sydney Morning Herald, “This is a church that is very close to him. He used to go there and pray during his trips to Rome before becoming the Pope. It is absolutely appropriate that this person was chosen as an outsider in 2013. Did not like to fasten. They often used to say that they used to be at their most independent times because they looked at the Vatican like a gel.
