Pope Francis just made an enormous symbolic move about where he will be buried. He has selected the patriarchic basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore located in Rome as his final departure site. This is a big break from precedent. For the first time in more than a hundred years, a pontiff will not be buried with ceremony in the crypts below St. Peter’s Basilica. Francis seems to have opted for a small, humble corner in the wall of the basilica. This place was previously employed to shop candlestick holders.
Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the four major basilicas in Rome and one of the four papal basilicas. This selection highlights the Pope’s deep Marian devotion and love for the mother of God. The basilica, located in Rome’s Esquilino neighborhood, is positioned between the famed Colosseum and Termini train station. For Francis, it has become a place of great personal meaning. During his 12-year papacy, St. John Paul II visited the basilica more than 100 times. He mostly visited to pray before and after his trips abroad.
Francis made a stop at each of these key spaces in the enormous basilica. Lastly, he selected a burial niche in the left nave, close to the Paolina chapel. His decision reflects his belief that things should be uncomplicated when it comes to life and death.
“This is my place, I want to be buried here,” – Pope Francis
Pope Francis welcomes a simpler understanding of the papacy. He has picked a burial spot where no fancy decorations will be allowed. His tomb will bear only his papal name inscribed in Latin: Franciscus. Javier Martínez-Brocal, an adviser to the Pope, said that with Francis, they wanted to strip down a traditional papal funeral.
“He told me he had simplified his funeral because he felt [papal funerals] were overembellished,” – Javier Martínez-Brocal
The move comes as Santa Maria Maggiore has become ever more crowded with worshippers and tourists, especially since Francis’s death. The basilica features a beautiful bright blue coffered ceiling. It’s covered in gold that was originally brought back to Spain from the Americas by Christopher Columbus. It looms over the city, a monument to both religious piety and cultural opulence.
Esquilino itself has a pretty dark history. Back in the Roman Empire, it was a burial site for slaves. Today, it remains a crucial touchstone in the lives of all people who revere its hallowed ground.
Pope Francis makes a private visit to Santa Maria Maggiore on March 23. This checkup happened immediately after he was released from an extended hospital stay, largely due to his near-fatal return of pneumonia. While returning to the Vatican on that day, he was distributing flowers. This act of faith underscored the deep personal ties he had with the basilica.
Whether addressing world leaders or the homeless, Francis has taught us all, through his humility and humor, that showing compassion is a universal language. One notable anecdote recounts a moment when he encountered a suspected pickpocket who approached him with a plea:
“I don’t have petrol, can you give me some money?” – Suspected pickpocket
Francis would later look back on this meeting. In doing so, he showed his love for others—even at the risk of his own life.
“Afterwards, I was told that if I had taken out my wallet, he would have punched me and stolen it,” – Pope Francis
Preparations for his long-term burial are already well under way. The choice of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore reflects Pope Francis’s priorities of simplicity, humility, and deep Marian devotion and connection. We hope that the basilica will be a living monument to his legacy and lifelong dedication to faith.