Pope Francis to be laid to rest in Basilica of St. Mary Major, funeral holds Saturday

The Vatican has officially announced that the late Pope Francis will be laid to rest in the Pauline Chapel of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, honoring the personal wishes outlined in his spiritual testament dated June 29, 2022.

This sacred site is home to the revered icon of ‘Maria Salus Populi Romani’, which held deep spiritual significance for the late pontiff.

His decision to be buried there reflects a profound devotion to the Virgin Mary, whom he frequently invoked throughout his papacy.

In a statement released by the Holy See Press Office, Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, head of the Vatican’s Directorate of Health and Hygiene, confirmed that the Pope passed away due to a stroke.

The stroke led to a coma and ultimately an irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.

The official medical documentation also revealed that Pope Francis had been battling several health challenges, including a history of acute respiratory failure linked to multimicrobial bilateral pneumonia, multiple bronchiectases, hypertension, and Type II diabetes.

The confirmation of his death was established through electrocardiographic thanatography, a standard medical procedure for verifying death.

Pope Francis’ Spiritual Testament

Pope Francis’ spiritual testament, dated 29 June 2022, as published by the Vatican, gives indications for his burial in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major:

Miserando atque Eligendo

In the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

As I sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life, and with firm hope in eternal life, I wish to set out my final wishes solely regarding the place of my burial.

Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, I ask that my mortal remains rest – awaiting the day of the Resurrection – in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care.

I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the Basilica, as shown in the attached plan.

The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.

The cost of preparing the burial will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I have arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. I have given the necessary instructions regarding this to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Liberian Basilica.

May the Lord grant a fitting reward to all those who have loved me and who continue to pray for me.

The suffering that has marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples.