Pope Francis Breaks Centuries of Tradition with Historic Burial Outside Vatican Walls
The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, where Pope Francis will be laid to rest, marking a historic break with Vatican tradition.
Why Pope Francis’s Burial at Santa Maria Maggiore Marks a Historic Shift for the Vatican
In an unprecedented move, Pope Francis has chosen to be buried outside the Vatican, ending a 120-year tradition. Announced on Easter Monday, his death at the age of 88 concludes a 12-year papacy characterized by humility and simplicity. His final resting place will be the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, one of the most significant sites of Christendom.
The last pope to be buried outside the Vatican was Leo XIII in 1903. True to his humble philosophy, Pope Francis requested a simple burial, "in the earth, without particular decoration," marked only with his papal name in Latin: Franciscus. This choice continues his lifelong effort to strip away the layers of grandeur traditionally associated with the papacy.
Located about 4 kilometers from the Vatican, Santa Maria Maggiore held a special place in Francis’s heart. Deeply devoted to Mary, Mother of God, he often prayed there before and after his international trips. "I've always had a great devotion to St. Mary Major, even before I became pope," he reflected in his 2024 book, El Sucesor.
His connection to the basilica dates back to March 14, 2013, the day after he was elected the first Latin American pope. Over the years, he returned to the basilica during critical moments, including prayers for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and after undergoing abdominal surgeries in 2021 and 2023.
The basilica houses several important relics and artworks, including a revered Byzantine icon of Mary in the Pauline Chapel. In 2023, Francis offered a vase of golden roses under the icon, symbolizing his deep devotion.
Near the chapel stands the statue of Mary, Queen of Peace, commissioned in 1918 to pray for an end to World War I. In May 2022, Francis led a global prayer service there for peace in Ukraine and other conflict zones.
Interestingly, the future burial spot of Pope Francis is a modest area within the basilica, originally a storeroom for candelabras. Recounting the moment he chose it, Francis said, "I saw it and thought: 'This is the place.'"
His cypress coffin will not follow the traditional layering of lead and wood, reflecting once again his preference for simplicity over grandeur. The choice of the Esquiline Hill is poignant: once a burial ground for slaves and the poor in ancient Rome, it now stands as a symbol of Francis’s commitment to the marginalized.
Founded in 432 AD, following the Council of Ephesus’s declaration of Mary as Mother of God, Santa Maria Maggiore remains one of the few early Christian basilicas to preserve its original structure, albeit with later embellishments. According to legend, a miraculous snowfall marked the future site of the basilica, an event celebrated every August 5 with the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows.
Several popes and notable religious figures are buried within the basilica, including Cardinal Bernard Law and Baroque master Gian Lorenzo Bernini, whose spiral staircase adjacent to the basilica symbolizes the Christian journey from earth to heaven.
Through this deeply symbolic burial decision, Pope Francis continues to redefine the papacy, leaving a legacy of humility and authenticity that will influence generations to come.