Pope Francis to Be Buried at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica

Post by: Layla Badr

Photo: Reuters

Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, will be buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, also called Santa Maria Maggiore, in Rome. This beautiful church was built in the fifth century and is located in the heart of the city. It already holds the tombs of seven popes.

Francis will be the first pope in over 100 years not to be buried inside St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Instead, he chose Santa Maria Maggiore because of his strong devotion to the Virgin Mary. Before every trip he made abroad, and after coming back to Rome, he would visit the basilica to pray. His most recent visit was on April 12, when he prayed in front of the famous icon of the Virgin Mary to begin the Holy Week that leads up to Easter.

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Francis had made it clear in 2023 that he wished to be laid to rest in Santa Maria Maggiore. The last pope buried there was Clement IX, who died in 1669. The last pope to be buried outside the Vatican was Pope Leo XIII in 1903. He was laid to rest at the Church of Saint John Lateran, which is also an important church for the bishop of Rome.

Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the four main papal basilicas in Rome. Besides popes, it also holds the tomb of the famous architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who designed the grand St. Peter’s Square and its impressive columns.

The inside of the basilica still looks very much like it did long ago. The central part, called the nave, has 40 large Ionic columns and beautiful mosaics that have been carefully preserved.

There is an old legend about how this church was built. It tells the story of a rich Roman couple who had no children and wanted to give their fortune to the Virgin Mary. One night in August 352, they had a vision where Mary told them to build a church where a miracle would happen. That night, snow fell on a hill in Rome — even though it was summer. They built the basilica on that very spot. Another version of the legend says that Pope Liberius also had a dream about the snowfall.

Today, the Vatican says that none of the original church remains. The construction of the current building began around the year 432, during the time of Pope Sixtus III.

The basilica is home to some of the Catholic Church’s most important treasures. One is a famous icon of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus, which some believe was painted by Saint Luke. It also has pieces of wood that are believed to come from the crib where Jesus lay as a newborn. Recent studies mentioned by the basilica's website say that the wood dates back to the time when Jesus was born.

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