 "Pope Francis' burial today but not in the Vatican, a break with tradition")
Pope Francis will be laid to rest on Saturday after he died on Easter Monday at the age of 88, after battling with pneumonia for five weeks. The pope’s send-off will be a grand affair, with some 224 cardinals and 750 bishops and priests alongside world dignitaries joining the burial ceremony.
Italian and Vatican authorities have mounted a major security operation for the event, expected to draw up to 200,000 people. A no-fly zone is in place, fighter jets are on standby, and snipers will be positioned on roofs surrounding the tiny city-state.
Earlier this week, the Vatican arranged a three-day public viewing, which was attended by thousands of mourners who queued up to catch a last glimpse of the pope.
A break from tradition
However, breaking from the age-old tradition of popes finding their final resting places at the Vatican, Pope Francis will be buried at his favourite Rome church, Santa Maria Maggiore.
Pope Francis, a man of simple taste, lived at a simple Vatican guesthouse and made sure to remain accessible to his followers by visiting the peripheries rather than mainstream centres of Catholicism.
The pope also described his tomb in his will, saying, “The tomb must be in the earth; simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus.” He added that his burial should be covered by “a sum provided by a benefactor.”
So, based on his wishes, the pope will be put inside a single wooden coffin – his predecessors had three, one inside the other – and be laid in a simple marble tomb.
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More ShortsOne 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.
Who will attend his funeral?
Pope Francis’ funeral will be attended by several dignitaries and world leaders, including Indian President Droupadi Murmu and US President Donald Trump.
Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, is also attending the funeral, as are presidents Javier Milei of Argentina, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Lebanon’s Joseph Aoun.
More than a dozen royals, including Britain’s Prince William, will also be present.
With inputs from agencies
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