Pope Francis' final burial request breaks from tradition

Pope Francis’s final burial wishes mark a break from the tradition that is usually adhered to when a pope dies, according to reports.

Pope Francis passed away yesterday (April 21), having appeared on the main balcony of St Peter’s Basilica just one day prior, on Easter Sunday. Aged 88 at the time of his death, rumors of the pope’s declining health had been abound in recent months.

In February reports suggested that the Holy Father had been battling pneumonia and a complex lung infection for a number of weeks. He was also said to be suffering from early-stage kidney failure amid his treatment.

Yesterday, April 21, the Vatican released a statement confirming that he had passed away that morning.

“At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” they said.

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – JANUARY 16: Pope Francis waves to thousands of followers as he arrives at the Manila Cathedral on January 16, 2015 in Manila, Philippines. Pope Francis will visit venues across Leyte and Manila during his visit to the Philippines from January 15 – 19. The visit is expected to attract crowds in the millions as Filipino Catholics flock to catch a glimpse of the leader of the Catholic Church in the Philippines for the first time since 1995. The Pope will begin the tour in Manila, then travelling to Tacloban to visit areas devastated by Typhoon Haiyan before returning to Manila to hold a mass at Rizal Park. The Philippines is the only Catholic majority nation in Asia with around 90 percent of the population professing the faith. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.”

Given that Pope Francis was already a man in his latter years when he was elected pope (he was 76), it perhaps should not come as a surprise that he experienced health issues throughout his papacy.

He wrote his final burial request in 2022, penning that he could ‘sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life’, and giving instructions that signal a major break from papal tradition.

Tradition dictates that popes are buried in a certain way when they pass, and that they’re given three coffins placed inside of one another, one made of cypress wood, one of lead and one of elm.

After the coffins have been put together the deceased pope’s body is placed inside and buried beneath St. Peter’s.

Pope Francis, however, known for being something of a modernizing figure, requested that his burial be a rather simpler affair. As per reports, the Argentina-born sovereign of the Vatican City is to be buried in a coffin made of wood and lined with zinc. In another break from tradition, he will not be buried at St. Peter’s, but rather interred at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.

Neither shall the inscription on his coffin be overly flamboyant, with Pope Francis having written: “The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.”

In a twist that’s now making headlines around the world, the Vatican have confirmed that Pope Francis passed away from a massive cerebral stroke — not from any of the respiratory illnesses he was previously treated for.

He died peacefully, officials said — passing away not in the hospital but at home, surrounded by the silence of Vatican grounds.

Rest in peace, Pope Francis.