Pope Francis Chooses Humble Resting Place at St. Mary Major, Breaking Century-Old Papal Tradition
For over a century, it has been customary for popes to be buried at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Since 1903, no pontiff has deviated from this tradition. Their final resting places are typically in the Vatican Grottoes beneath the basilica or in one of its chapels—such as that of Pope John Paul II.
Catholic belief holds that the tomb of St. Peter himself lies beneath the basilica, reinforcing its sacred status. However, Pope Francis has chosen a different path.
He will become the first pope in more than 100 years to be buried outside St. Peter’s, selecting instead the Basilica of St. Mary Major. This revered church has long held special significance for Francis, who frequently visited it to pray before the Salus Populi Romani icon—an ancient image of the Virgin Mary, believed by tradition to have been painted by St. Luke.
St. Mary Major, one of the oldest Marian churches in the West, already houses the tombs of six popes. Francis will join them, requesting a modest burial site between the Pauline Chapel—home to the Salus Populi Romani—and the Sforza Chapel. The location reflects his lifelong preference for simplicity and quiet devotion.
Commissioned in the 5th century by Pope Sixtus III following the Council of Ephesus, the basilica holds immense historical and spiritual weight. It is said to preserve relics of the manger where Jesus was laid in Bethlehem.
Francis’s bond with the basilica was deeply personal. He visited it before and after each apostolic journey and even paused there on his way back from the hospital, insisting on placing flowers at Mary’s image. Just two days before his death, he made one final pilgrimage there to pray.
In death, as in life, Pope Francis chose humility over grandeur. He asked to be buried in a plain grave, without elaborate markings—only the name “Franciscus” engraved upon the earth.
Ends
About The Author
