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In a significant break from papal tradition, Pope Francis will not be laid to rest in the customary three coffins that have been used for pontiffs for centuries.
VATICAN CITY, — In a significant break from papal tradition, Pope Francis, who died Monday at age 88, will not be laid to rest in the customary three coffins that have been used for pontiffs for centuries.
This departure from protocol reflects the late pope’s commitment to simplicity that defined his papacy.
Francis, who suffered a stroke that led to heart failure, personally revised the papal funeral rites last year, eliminating several traditional elements including the three-coffin burial system that typically featured nested cypress, lead and oak caskets.
“The simplification is meant to emphasize even more that the Roman Pontiff’s funeral is that of a shepherd and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful man of this world,” explained Monsignor Diego Ravelli, the Vatican’s master of liturgical ceremonies, when the changes were approved last year.
MORE: Pope Francis’ final resting place is a break from tradition
The revised funeral plans align with Francis’ humble approach throughout his tenure. The Argentine Jesuit pope consistently rejected papal pomp, choosing to live in the Vatican hotel rather than the Apostolic Palace and traveling in modest vehicles.
Further breaking with tradition, Francis will not join his predecessors in the crypts beneath St. Peter’s Basilica. Instead, per his wishes, he will be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in Rome, where his favorite icon of the Virgin Mary is housed. The pope had previously described this Byzantine-style painting, the Salus populi Romani (Salvation of the people of Rome), as “my great devotion.”
His final resting place will be a simple underground tomb marked only with “Franciscus,” per his wishes. The burial is expected to take place following public viewing periods for Vatican officials and the general public and his funeral on Saturday, April 26.
Francis’ last public appearance was on Easter Sunday, when he blessed thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square just one day before his death.
The College of Cardinals will soon convene a conclave to elect his successor.
