On the morning of Monday, April 21, 2025, the Vatican announced with profound sorrow that Pope Francis had died at the age of 88. Jorge Mario Bergoglio—the Argentine-born pontiff who rose to become the 266th Bishop of Rome—passed away peacefully at 7:35 a.m. local time in his private quarters at Casa Santa Marta. As the global Catholic community and world leaders mourn the loss of a transformative spiritual leader, attention has now turned to the final arrangements for his earthly remains. In a striking departure from long‑standing custom, Pope Francis himself revealed in 2023 that he wished to be buried not beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, where most popes have rested for centuries, but in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. This decision will mark the first time in over a century that a pontiff forgoes interment in the Vatican grottoes—a choice that speaks volumes about his personal spirituality, his devotion to Marian prayer, and his pastoral humility.
I. The Final Hours and Official Announcement
In the months leading up to his death, Pope Francis’s health had been the subject of concern and prayer within the global Church. After a recurrence of chronic bronchitis in late February required emergency hospitalization at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli University Hospital, he faced complications—including bilateral pneumonia and an acute episode of bronchospasm that led to mild kidney failure. Following a “protected discharge” on March 23, the Holy Father returned to Casa Santa Marta under close medical supervision, continuing respiratory therapy and light audiences. Yet, on Easter Monday morning, surrounded by a small circle of aides and medical staff, he drew his last breath.
Shortly thereafter, Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell issued the solemn communiqué from the Apostolic Palace:
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 a.m. this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.”
In the same statement, Cardinal Farrell paid tribute to Francis’s lifelong dedication:
“His entire life was consecrated to the service of the Lord and of his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love—especially for the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Triune.”
II. A Departure from Tradition: Santa Maria Maggiore
A. Historical Precedent and Papal Grottoes
Since the early days of the modern papacy, the grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica have served as the burial place for the majority of popes. Carved into the foundation of what was once the Circus of Nero, these subterranean chambers have housed statues, sarcophagi, and tombs dating back to the fourth century. For pilgrims and faithful visitors, descending the narrow staircases feels like traversing the layers of Church history, bringing one face‑to‑face with the lineage of Peter’s successors.
B. Francis’s Personal Devotion to Mary
In an exclusive 2023 interview with Mexican broadcaster N+, Pope Francis disclosed his desire to be laid to rest in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore—one of Rome’s four major Marian basilicas and the oldest church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. He explained that Santa Maria Maggiore had long been his place of prayer before embarking on international journeys and upon returning from them. He also expressed particular devotion to the Byzantine Icon of Our Lady of the Snows, venerated in that basilica as Protectress of the Roman People.
“The place is already prepared,” Francis told the interviewer. “I wish to be buried in St. Mary Major. My heart is there, before Mary, whom I have always asked to guide the path of the Church.”
By choosing Santa Maria Maggiore over St. Peter’s, the late Pontiff underscored his humility and his constant turning to Mary as an intercessor—a fitting coda to a pontificate marked by pastoral simplicity and Marian tenderness.
III. The Significance of Santa Maria Maggiore
A. Architectural and Spiritual Landmark
Constructed in the fifth century under Pope Sixtus III, Santa Maria Maggiore stands on the Esquiline Hill, its dazzling mosaics and gilded coffered ceiling dazzling all who enter. It is the only papal basilica to have been founded by a laywoman, the legendary Roman noblewoman John John**, who purportedly contributed her dowry to the church’s construction. Over the centuries, popes have maintained a special relationship with Santa Maria Maggiore, keeping Charles Borromeo’s chest of relics and commissioning renovations that blend Renaissance artistry with Byzantine heritage.
B. A Pilgrimage Site for Popes
Long before his election, Cardinal Bergoglio visited Santa Maria Maggiore to light candles and offer silent prayer for his archdiocese of Buenos Aires. As Pope, he continued that practice, often arriving early to kneel before the Marian icon and entrust his pontificate to her maternal care. His decision to be buried there is thus deeply personal: it reflects a life of prayer lived in the shadow of Mary’s guiding presence, and it invites the faithful to a pilgrimage of prayer and remembrance.
IV. Papal Funerary Rites and Programming
A. Liturgy of the Departed Pontiff
Following tradition, Vatican officials have outlined a multi‑day sequence of liturgies and vigils. The body of Pope Francis will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica, where tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected to queue for hours, passing beneath the monumental canopy of Bernini as they offer prayers and leave floral tributes. In the evening, a solemn vigil—the Vigilia di Preghiera—will be led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, with readings highlighting Francis’s writings on mercy and social justice.
B. Funeral Mass and Procession
On the morning of the funeral, likely to occur three to five days after his death, a Requiem Mass will be celebrated in the loggia of Bernini’s colonnade, allowing hundreds of international delegates and heads of state to attend. Precedent suggests that the Mass will be marked by restrained ceremonial: Francis repeatedly eschewed ostentation, and his funeral is expected to reflect that simplicity. After the Mass, a funeral cortege will transfer the Pope’s coffin from St. Peter’s Basilica to Santa Maria Maggiore for interment.
V. Legacy and Global Reactions
A. A Pontificate of Reform and Mercy
Throughout his eight‑year tenure, Pope Francis championed a “Church of the Poor,” calling for an “economy of encounter” that privileges the marginalized. He instituted reforms in Vatican finances, convened a global summit on clergy sexual abuse, and launched the first phase of a synodal process inviting lay participation in Church governance. His encyclicals—Laudato si’ on care for creation, Amoris laetitia on family life, and Fratelli tutti on social friendship—reached audiences far beyond Catholic circles.
B. International Tributes
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King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Queen Camilla expressed profound sadness at the news. Recalling their visit to the Vatican on April 9—coinciding with their 20th wedding anniversary—the King remarked: “Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many. The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years.”
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U.S. Vice President JD Vance offered condolences via social media, writing, “My heart goes out to the millions of Christians around the world who loved him. May God rest his soul.”
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French President Isabelle Durant, German Chancellor Anna Schmidt, and Spain’s Prime Minister Carlos Ruiz jointly honored Francis as “a moral compass in turbulent times,” noting his diplomatic achievements—such as the China provisional agreement—and his advances in interfaith dialogue, including the 2019 Document on Human Fraternity with the Grand Imam of Al‑Azhar.
VI. Burial Wishes in Historical Context
A. Popes Who Chose Their Own Tombs
While most modern popes have accepted the tradition of burial beneath St. Peter’s, there have been rare precedents of pontiffs who directed alternative interment. Innocent VIII (d. 1492) chose St. Peter’s to cement his legacy, whereas Paul VI (d. 1978) opted for a chapel within his own Vatican residence at the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. Francis’s decision thus enters a lineage of personal burial choices that reflect a pope’s theological emphasis and pastoral identity.
B. Theological Underpinnings
By selecting Santa Maria Maggiore, Pope Francis aligns himself with a Marian spirituality that situates the Church’s mission under Mary’s maternal care. This choice resonates with his frequent calls for “going to the peripheries”—geographic, social, and spiritual—and underscores his conviction that the Church encounters Christ in the humble and the poor, just as Mary did.
VII. Looking Ahead: The Next Chapter for the Catholic Church
As Cardinals prepare to convene in sede vacante and eventually enter the Sistine Chapel for the papal conclave, they will carry Francis’s example of humility, dialogue, and service into their votes. The new pope will inherit a Church at a crossroads: tasked with addressing ecological crises, migration, inequality, and deep wounds from past abuses. Whether the successor continues Francis’s reformist agenda or charts a more conservative course, the pontificate that follows will be forever shaped by the legacy of Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
Conclusion
Pope Francis’s passing on April 21, 2025, marks the end of a papacy defined by personal simplicity, reformist zeal, and an unwavering commitment to the marginalized. His unprecedented decision to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore rather than the Vatican grottoes reaffirms a lifetime of Marian devotion and pastoral humility. As Rome prepares for his funeral rites and the subsequent conclave, the faithful worldwide pause to remember a Pontiff who sought always to “go forth” into the world’s peripheries, bearing the Gospel with compassion and courage. In choosing Santa Maria Maggiore as his final resting place, Francis leaves the Church a poignant testament to the power of prayer, the primacy of mercy, and the tender protection of Our Lady of the Snows—guiding both pilgrims and popes toward a future illuminated by faith and love.
Adrian Hawthorne is a celebrated author and dedicated archivist who finds inspiration in the hidden stories of the past. Educated at Oxford, he now works at the National Archives, where preserving history fuels his evocative writing. Balancing archival precision with creative storytelling, Adrian founded the Hawthorne Institute of Literary Arts to mentor emerging writers and honor the timeless art of narrative.