Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica: Where Pope Francis has been laid to rest

Pope Francis, the first pontiff from Latin America, died on Easter Monday at the age of 88, and in accordance with his wishes, has been laid to rest at the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) in Rome, Italy.

According to the Vatican, he suffered a stroke that left him in a coma and caused his heart to fail.

Church bells rang out from Argentina to the Philippines and across Rome as word of his death travelled worldwide.

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He made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, just a day before his passing, when he delivered a blessing to thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square, greeted by loud cheers and applause. Earlier that day, he had met US Vice President JD Vance.

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The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought a sense of renewal to the Church, which had been suffering a loss of influence during the papacy of Benedict XVI. Benedict’s unexpected resignation opened the way for Francis’s election.

In his will, Francis requested to be laid to rest at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, located in Rome’s Esquilino area.

This choice marked a departure from established tradition. Francis frequently visited the basilica both before and after his overseas journeys, with his final visit taking place on April 12.

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But what is special about this church? And why did Francis choose it as his final resting place?

Let’s take a look:

Why Pope Francis chose St Mary Major for final resting place

The Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, which Pope Francis chose as his final resting place, is a fifth-century church located in the centre of Rome that already holds the tombs of seven popes.

The Argentinian pontiff will be first in more than a century who will not be entombed in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

His will stated that he wanted a simple burial “in the ground, without particular decoration,” with only his papal name inscribed in Latin: Franciscus.

The Vatican released the full text of his will, where the late pope wrote: “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.”

Francis was very devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary and made a point to pray in Santa Maria Maggiore before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return to Rome.

Most recently, Francis prayed to the icon of the Virgin Mary inside the basilica on April 12, to mark the beginning of the Holy Week that culminated in Easter.

Francis declared his desire to be entombed in the basilica – known in English as the Basilica of Saint Mary Major – in 2023.

The last pope to be buried there was Clement IX in 1669. And the last pontiff to be buried outside the Vatican was Leo XIII in 1903, whose final resting place is the Church of Saint John Lateran, the Cathedral of the bishop of Rome.

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One of four papal basilicas in Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore holds the remains of several other renowned personalities, such as the architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who designed St Peter’s Square and its surrounding columns.

The interior of Santa Maria Maggiore remains close to its origins. The central nave is lined by 40 Ionic columns and contains exquisite mosaics.

One legend ties the basilica to the Virgin Mary from its origins. It says that a childless wealthy Roman couple wanted to donate their possessions to the Virgin Mary.

She appeared to them in a vision and told them to build a church in her honour where a miracle would take place. Snow fell that summer night in August 352 on the hill where the basilica now stands.

Another legend has Pope Liberius being told in a dream of the summer snowfall.

According to the Vatican, however, nothing remains of that original church. Construction of the current basilica began around 432 under Pope Sixtus III.

The basilica holds some of the Church’s most important relics, including an icon of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus attributed to Saint Luke.

It also holds pieces of wood believed to have been from Jesus’s crib. The basilica’s website says recent studies have dated the wood from the period of Jesus’s birth.

World mourns Pope Francis

Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in 1936, became pope in March 2013.

He signalled his down-to-earth style from the start by riding a bus instead of the papal car, paying his hotel bill himself, and choosing to live in the Vatican guesthouse rather than the papal apartments.

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In his first address to the media, he shared his vision of “a poor church and a church for the poor.”

His death has led to an outpouring of condolences from global leaders and a deep sense of loss within the Catholic community.

In Italy, flags were lowered to half-mast, and people filled St Peter’s Square. As the bells of the basilica began to toll, many stopped to film the moment.

With inputs from AFP