The last pope to be buried outside the Vatican walls
In short: Pope Francis broke a century-old tradition by choosing a burial site outside of Vatican City. His final journey was marked by simplified rituals and a massive security operation, reflecting a papacy that sought to balance ancient grandeur with a move toward modern humility.
Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, following a period of significant health struggles. While he was elected in 2013 with chronic lung damage from a youth surgery, his final months were defined by respiratory infections, kidney failure, and mobility issues that led to what Reuters called a "slower phase" of his papacy. His death was officially attributed to a stroke followed by irreversible cardiac arrest, though he also suffered from type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
In a departure from tradition, Francis simplified the funeral rites (Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis). By choosing a simple zinc-lined timber casket, he halted the historical custom involving three separate containers of oak, lead, and cypress. He also removed the custom of placing the body on a raised platform for public viewing. Despite these simplifications, the scale remained immense: over 250,000 people attended his Requiem Mass in St. Peter's Square, supported by a security force of more than 2,500 police and 1,500 soldiers.
His burial at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore was historically significant. He became the first pope interred outside Vatican City since Leo XIII in 1903. The choice was personal; Francis held a "great devotion" to the Salus Populi Romani icon housed there. His final spiritual testament, dated June 2022, expressed his wish for peace and fraternity, offering up the physical suffering of his final years as a sacrifice for the world.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Death and funeral of Pope Francis
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