Pope’s Will Published: He Left Instructions for His Burial Place
Pope Francis, in his will composed on June 29, 2022, expressed his wish for his final resting place to be the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, it was announced this evening in the Vatican.
“Feeling the twilight of my earthly life approaching, and with firm hope in eternal life, I wish to express my final desires solely regarding the place of my burial. Throughout my life, and during my priestly and episcopal ministry, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of the 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,” reads the Pope’s will.
I wish for my final earthly journey to conclude precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of each apostolic journey, confidentially entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care, wrote Pope Francis.
He specifically requested how his tomb should be prepared: “in a burial niche in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the basilica.”
“The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without special ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus,” is the Pope’s final wish.
“The funeral preparation costs will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. I have given the necessary instructions regarding this to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the extraordinary commissioner of the Liberian Basilica,” Vatican News reported from the Pope’s will.
“May the Lord grant a worthy reward to all those who loved me and who continue to pray for me. The suffering that marked the final part of my life I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and for brotherhood among nations,” the Pope stated in his will composed on June 29, 2022.
