Till the end, Francis wished to keep to the simple style he had set for his papacy.  

On March 13, 2013, after his election as pope, he broke with tradition when he appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica wearing a plain white cassock. He had chosen not to wear the traditional red ermine-trimmed short cape called the mozzetta. (Ermine has long been a symbol of royalty and high social status, particularly in Europe. At his coronation, for example, King Charles III wore the robes of state and of estate both trimmed with ermine.)

Francis’ simple appearance then was seen as a deliberate signal of a modest, humble and relatable papacy. And throughout that papacy, he eschewed luxury and opted for simple living. 

Among others, he continued to wear white cassocks. He chose to reside in a room in the Casa Santa Marta, a guest house for visitors to the Vatican, rather than in the grand papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace. He ate his meals in the communal dining room, carried his own bag, and used modest vehicles.

His wishes for his burial and reforms in papal funerals reinforce this image of simplicity and humility. These are stated in his last will and testament written on June 29, 2022, and as prescribed in the second edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis (Ordo), which he approved on April 29, 2024. The Ordo is the liturgical book that serves as a guide for the steps to be taken on the death of a pope (or the Bishop of Rome).

The earlier Ordo was approved in 1998 by Pope (now Saint) John Paul II and was used during his funeral and that of Pope Benedict XVI.

A news advisory issued by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments last Nov. 4, when the new Ordo was published, explains why a second edition became necessary: Because Pope Francis wanted it. 

“First of all because Pope Francis has requested it, as he himself has stated on several occasions of the need to simplify and adapt certain rites so that the celebration of the funeral of the Bishop of Rome may better express the faith of the Church in the Risen Christ,” said Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of Apostolic Ceremonies. 

“The renewed rite also needed to emphasize even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world,” Ravelli added.

New elements

According to the news advisory, a number of new elements for papal funerals have been introduced: “The ascertainment of death will no longer take place in the room of the deceased but in the chapel, and his mortal remains will be placed immediately inside the coffin. The faithful will be able to venerate the Pope’s body inside the open coffin, and the tradition of having three coffins of cypress, lead, and oak has been eliminated.”

The Guardian reported that Francis had chosen to break with the traditions surrounding papal funerals and instead issued a set of simplified rules allowing a pope to be “laid out and buried like any son or daughter of the Church” without the use of an elevated bier topped with cushions. Or, as Francis himself put it: “With dignity, but not on cushions. In my opinion, the ritual was too ornate.”

In short, Francis sought changes for simpler rites—a move that would result in eschewed pomp and pageantry and break with centuries-old traditions, such as the use of three coffins. 

Traditionally, the body of the pope is placed in a coffin of cypress, which is then placed in one of lead, which in turn is put in another of oak. As explained in a report, the cypress coffin, symbolizing humility, holds the pope’s body and personal items. The lead coffin preserves the body and secures important documents. And the outer coffin of oak ensures durability, symbolizes strength, and honors the pope’s dignity.

The use of three coffins is intended to honor a pope’s legacy and is a tradition that dates back to the 14th century, according to papal historian Wendy J. Reardon in her book, “The Deaths of the Popes.”

This has continued in the funerals of Popes John Paul II in 2005 and of Benedict XVI in 2023.

But Pope Francis specified that he wanted his body to be placed in a single coffin made of wood and lined with zinc. (A coffin is lined with zinc particularly in cases of international transport and to ensure that it is hermetically sealed. A zinc lining protects the remains from degradation over time as the zinc will decompose much slower than wood.) 

Ancient Marian shrine 

Another break with tradition is Francis’ choice for a burial site. He wished to be interred in Santa Maria Maggiore, which lies outside the Vatican. A number of popes (about 90, in one report) had their original burial in the grottos beneath St. Peter’s Basilica.

Francis explained this choice in his last will and testament released by the Vatican days after his death on April 21. He wrote: “I have always entrusted my life and priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy. Therefore, I ask that my mortal remains rest, awaiting the day of resurrection, in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

“I wish that my final earthly journey conclude precisely in this ancient Marian shrine, where I go to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey to faithfully entrust my intentions to the Immaculate Mother and to give thanks for her gentle and maternal care.”

He also cited the specifics of his burial site: “I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side nave between the Pauline Chapel (or the Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the aforementioned Papal Basilica.

“The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, and bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.”

A photograph released by Vatican News on April 25 shows Pope Francis’ tomb in the Basilica of St. Mary Major just as he wished. 

Speaking on television, the co-Archpriest of the Basilica, Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, announced Francis’ desire to be buried in a tomb made from the “stone of Liguria, the land of his grandparents.”

With Francis’ choice of burial site comes another change in the papal funeral rites in recent years: a procession or transfer of his remains from St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. 

‘Everyone, everyone, everyone’

But although simpler, the funeral ritual for Pope Francis has its share of pomp and pageantry starting with a cast of thousands—about 250 cardinals and a multitude of bishops, priests, religious brothers and sisters, in red and white and black and white religious garbs.  

Vatican News said the patriarchs and cardinals will be distinguished from the bishops by the purple of their liturgical garments and their white damask miters, while the bishops will wear plain white miters 

Swiss guards in their colorful attire are also present, along with an estimated 130 foreign delegations including about 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns.

The vast crowd of mourners count in the hundreds of thousands, hailing from all geographical, social, political, and cultural backgrounds. 

In the words of Vatican News, this diverse crowd represents the Church of Francis, one that welcomes “everyone, everyone, everyone,” as he tirelessly repeated.

The funeral Mass includes readings from the Acts of the Apostles, the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians, and the Gospel according to John. The homily was prepared by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, and the prayers of the faithful said in French, Arabic, Portuguese, Polish, German, and Chinese.

In all, a solemn celebration to express gratitude and appreciation for a pastor and disciple of Jesus who wanted to go softly and silently to the Father’s House, but is so deserving of great honor and a grand sendoff.

Thank you, Pope Francis.

Read more: Francis’ papacy, defined by mercy and compassion, was neither rigorist nor laxist