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Prior to the funeral service for Pope Francis at the Vatican, significant departures from traditional papal burial practices have been noted. The pontiff, affectionately known as “the People’s Pope,” has been lying in state for three days at St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing the public to pay their respects.
In a notable break from tradition, Francis opted for a simple wooden coffin instead of the customary three-coffin arrangement made of cypress, lead, and elm. This choice aligns with updated funeral guidelines approved by Francis himself and published late last year.
The revised Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis provides for the pope’s body to be displayed in an open coffin, permitting more accessibility for mourners.
Another significant deviation is the procedure for confirming the pope’s death, which will now take place in a chapel rather than in the deceased’s room.
Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Apostolic Ceremonies, noted that this second edition of the funeral rites was prompted by Francis’s own desires for a more simplified and adapted ceremony. He emphasized the importance of creating a funeral service that better reflects the faith of the Church in the Risen Christ.
Ravelli also highlighted that the updated rites aim to reinforce that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff represents a pastor and disciple of Christ, rather than a figure of worldly power.
A further significant change is Francis’s burial location. In his last will and testament, he expressed a wish to be interred outside the Vatican, particularly at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore). This choice is deeply personal, as it is a location he frequently visited for prayer before and after his apostolic journeys.
While many popes have traditionally been laid to rest within the Vatican’s grottoes, where a series of vaults beneath St. Peter’s Basilica exist, only seven popes in history have found their final resting place in St. Mary Major. Francis will be the first to do so in centuries.
In his will, Francis conveyed, “I wish that my last earthly journey conclude precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary where I went for prayer at the beginning and end of each Apostolic journey to confidently entrust my intentions to the Immaculate Mother and thank Her for her docile and maternal care.” He specified that his tomb should be “in the earth; simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus,” a significant contrast to many papal tombs, which often include ornate inscriptions celebrating their papacies.
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