I ask the Lord to tell me when it's enough, when He wants me to leave.
Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, seemed relatively untroubled about his own passing in an interview he gave to the Mexican TV channel Televisa in December 2023. In the interview, which was reported by AP, he also spoke about his favorite icon: a Byzantine-style painting of Mary in blue robes holding the baby Jesus, who in turn holds a golden, jewel-encrusted book.
After his travels, the Pope often went to the shrine and prayed in front of it, he said.
A simpler ceremony
When the news of his death was announced on Monday, following a spring during which the Pope had been treated in hospital for life-threatening pneumonia, it became clear that there would be a less pompous funeral than those of his predecessors. The Pope had wished for a simpler ceremony focusing on the Church's faith in Christ's resurrection, says Archbishop Diego Ravelli to the news agency Vatican News:
The ritual should emphasize that the burial of a Roman Pope is a ceremony for a pastor and a disciple of Jesus, not for a worldly ruler.
This means, among other things, that the Pope's remains will rest in a simpler coffin made mainly of wood, without a catafalque.
"The grave should be in the ground; simple, without special decoration, with only one inscription: Francis", the Pope writes in his will, dated June 29, 2022, which was made public after his passing.
Lying in state
It is likely that the coffin with the remains will be taken to St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday to lie in state.
As recently as last year, Francis approved an updated version of the Church's rules for papal funerals.
The funeral of a Pope usually takes place within four to six days after the death. Two to three weeks later, a conclave is held to elect a new Pope.
Seven popes buried
A Pope is also the bishop of Rome, and it is said that it was in this role that Pope Francis developed his strong bond with Santa Maria Maggiore, which is located near the large train station Roma Termini. The place where the Argentine's remains will rest is "prepared" and is located near the icon in the church, he said.
The Pope thus becomes the first Pope in over 100 years to be buried outside the Vatican State. It is otherwise common for Popes to be buried in the crypts under St. Peter's Basilica or in side chapels. The last Pope to deviate from this practice was Leo XIII, who passed away in 1903. His remains are in the Lateran Basilica, which is also Rome's cathedral.
Throughout history, seven Popes have been buried in Santa Maria Maggiore, according to the Vatican's news agency.
