However, when his time comes, he will not be buried with most past popes in the grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica.
At the end of 2023, Francis revealed he had already chosen his tomb at Santa Maria Maggiore, a major basilica in Rome. Seven popes, including Honorius III in 1216 and Clement IX in 1669, were buried there.
In another break from tradition, Francis will be laid to rest in a single zinc-lined wooden casket. This is different from Pope Benedict XVI, who was buried in three coffins, including one made of lead.
Benedict lay in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica before his burial. His remains were placed in a crypt under the basilica, in the same tomb where Pope John Paul II was originally buried before being moved in 2011 after his beatification.
Since St. Peter’s was completed in 1626, 24 out of 31 popes have been buried in its grottoes. However, Francis has a strong connection to Santa Maria Maggiore. He has visited the church over 100 times, often praying before trips and upon his return.
Benedict’s outer coffin had a simple metal cross and an inscription in Latin. It noted that he lived 95 years, 8 months, and 15 days and listed the date he retired on February 28, 2013. Inside the coffin, a written account of his papacy, coins from his time as pope, and his pallium stoles were placed.
Francis is still expected to lie in state at St. Peter’s before his funeral. New funeral rites introduced last year state that his coffin will remain open until the night before the funeral. His death will also be officially confirmed in his bedroom, rather than his chapel.
A report from Politico claims that Francis told close contacts that he “might not make it this time.” He was hospitalized on February 14 with a serious respiratory infection. His condition is being monitored carefully, especially because he had part of a lung removed when he was 21.
