Why Pope Francis, unlike others may not be buried in St. Peter's Basilica

With Pope Francis’s passing at the age of 88, the Vatican prepares for a funeral that may be different from the traditional practice.

Rejecting centuries of tradition, Francis had expressed his desire to be buried at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, instead of the customary Vatican Grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, as per a NYT report.

Pope Francis’s final resting place at Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the four papal basilicas of Rome, honors his deep personal devotion to the Virgin Mary. As pontiff, Francis often visited the basilica before and after each apostolic trip to pray before the ancient icon Salus Populi Romani, which he regarded as a symbol of maternal protection and divine intercession.

How may the funeral take place?
From the beginning of his papacy in 2013, Francis rejected elaborate vestments and the Apostolic Palace in favor of simple attire and residence at Casa Santa Marta. In 2024, he took another step, rewriting the funeral rites for a reigning pope, the first such revision in modern church history.

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Francis removed key elements that had long symbolized papal authority. Since the 13th century, popes’ embalmed bodies were placed on elevated platforms for hierarchical viewings, including cardinals and state officials. Pope John Paul II’s body was first viewed privately in the Apostolic Palace before being transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica. Francis eliminated this stage entirely.

Instead, the public will be allowed to pay respects directly at St. Peter’s Basilica, where his closed coffin will lie in state, not elevated, and without embalming. “Francis decided to highlight humility over glorification,” said church historian Agostino Paravicini Bagliani.

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His burial will also differ from tradition. Past popes were laid to rest in three nested coffins: one each of cypress, zinc, and elm. Francis has requested a single wooden coffin lined with zinc. The coffin will contain a silk veil over his face, coins minted during his papacy, and a “rogito”, a sealed deed summarizing his life and papal service, which will be read aloud before sealing.

The College of Cardinals, led by the camerlengo, will determine the timing of the procession and public viewing. According to Vatican norms, the funeral is to take place within four to six days after the pope’s death, with masses continuing over a nine-day mourning period in churches across Rome.