Pope Francis humbly revealed in his last will that he wishes to be buried in a simple tomb inside the Roman basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Photo: Pope Francis
On April 21, Vatican News published the pope’s spiritual testament, dated June 29, 2022. In it, he specified the location of his tomb and noted that the burial expenses had been arranged in advance.
The pope passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88, only a day after he made a surprise appearance at St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.
According to the Vatican, the pope died from a stroke, which was followed by a coma and an irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse. Before this, he also had a history of acute respiratory failure caused by multimicrobial bilateral pneumonia, multiple bronchiectases, high blood pressure, and Type II diabetes.
On February 14, Pope Francis was hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital due to bronchitis, which had progressed to double pneumonia. This is his longest hospitalization in his 12-year papacy.
Pope Francis was the first pope from South America and the Jesuit order. He became the 266th pope in 2013, following the resignation of the late Pope Benedict XVI.
Here is the full text of Pope Francis’ last will and testament:
Miserando atque Eligendo
In the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
As I sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life, and with firm hope in eternal life, I wish to set out my final wishes solely regarding the place of my burial.
Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our 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.
I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care.
I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the Basilica, as shown in the attached plan.
The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.
The cost of preparing the burial will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I have arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. I have given the necessary instructions regarding this to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Liberian Basilica.
May the Lord grant a fitting reward to all those who have loved me and who continue to pray for me. The suffering that has marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples.
Santa Marta, 29 June 2022
FRANCIS
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