“The tomb must be in the ground, simply, without special decorations.” What did Pope Francis write in the will
Pope Francis. Photo source: Marco Iacobucci / IPA-AGENCY.NET / Pa Images / Profimedia
The Vatican published the testamentary wishes of Pope Francis on the place of funeral on Monday. The Sovereign Pontiff asks to be buried “in the ground”, in a “simple, without special” tomb, in the papal basilica Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, according to the BBC.
“Feeling that the sunset of my earthly life is approaching and hopeful in eternal life, I want to express my testamentary will only in terms of the place of my burial.
I have always entrusted my life and priestly and episcopal service to the Virgin Mary, Maria Most Holy. Therefore, I ask that my mortal remains to rest in waiting for the Resurrection Day in the Papal Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, ”the Pope wrote in the Vatican published will, drafted by the Pontiff two years and nine months ago, on June 29, 2022.
Pope Francis also stated that he wants “my last earthly journey to end in this very old sanctuary, where I went for prayer at the beginning and the end of each apostolic journey, to faithfully entrust my intentions to the Blessed Mother and to thank her docile and maternal care.”
The exact place mentioned in the document is “the niche in the side corridor between Paolina chapel (Romanian Populi Capela) and Chapela Sforza”.
The Pope also demands that it be “in the ground; simple, without special decorations and with a single inscription: Franciscus”.
The Sovereign Pontiff added that a benefactor – whose name was not made public – will cover the costs of the funeral.
The will ends with the following words: “May the Lord give the deserved reward for those who loved me and continues to pray for me. The suffering that became present in the last part of my life I offer to the Lord for Peace and Fraternity.”
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A historical decision of the Pontiff will be respected
Pope Francis will be buried in the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, being for the first time in the last century when a pontiff is buried outside the Vatican.
The decision was taken by Pope more than a year ago and reflects his devotion to the Virgin Mary and the special connection with this church.
Francis frequented Santa Maria Maggiore from the time when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and after his choice as a pope he visited over 100 times the icon Salus populi Romani, located inside the place, near the Paolina chapel. The Sovereign Pontiff confessed that the place is deeply close and spiritual, including by the connection with the Jesuit order from which he came: his founder, Ignatius de Loyola, celebrated his first Liturgy in 1538.
Santa Maria Maggiore basilica is one of the four major papal basilics in Rome and a UNESCO World Heritage Monument. Built in the present form in the 5th century, the church houses Paleocrhea mosaics and the grave of sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
