Tomb of Pope Francis in Rome from Sunday accessible to believers!

Tomb of Pope Francis in Rome from Sunday accessible to believers!

Rom, Italien - Pope Francis was buried on April 27, 2025 in the Santa Maria Maggiore church in Rome. His grave, which will be accessible to believers from this Sunday morning, is located in a side aisle near the altar of St. Francis. Francis himself chose this final resting place after he repeatedly prayed in front of the icon of the Holy Virgin in this basilica. Only his Latin Pope name "Franciscus" is on the marble grave. He is the eighth Pope that was buried in Santa Maria Maggiore, and the first since Clemens IX. in 1669.

The burial took place in the small circle, immediately after a dead mass on St. Peter's Square, which was visited by around 400,000 mourners. The head of the Italian civil protection, Fabio Ciciliano, praised the excellent organization of the day, which was made possible by security forces and the community, including the thanks from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Mayor Roberto Gualtieri.

funeral and visitor flow

During the funeral service in the Vatican, in which around 5000 church representatives and numerous official delegations from all over the world took part, the body was laid out by Pope Francis in a simple wooden coffin. The ceremony was broadcast live on St. Peter's Basilica, and the funeral service attracted immense crowds, the snake in front of St. Peter's Square extended over a kilometer. In the first 24 hours after the list, more than 50,000 people said goodbye to the late Pope.

The traditional nine -day mourning ceremonies, known as Novendiale, begin on the day of funeral and end on May 4th. During this time, daily trade fairs take place for the late Pope, who are visited by the believers. The conclave for the choice of a new Pope is set for the period between May 5 and 10, whereby the exact date is announced after a further general congregation of the cardinals. Cardinal Reinhard Marx expects the conclave to take a few days.

an inheritance of change

Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88, leaves a complex inheritance. He was not only the first Pope from South America, but also introduced numerous reforms within the Vatican authorities, although some cumbersome structures remained. His pontificate of over twelve years was characterized by a strong social engagement that was recognized in the sermon of the dean of the Cardinal College, Giovanni Battista Re.

The security measures related to the funeral service were comprehensive, with more than 10,000 emergency services and helicopter monitoring to ensure the safety of the funeral guests. With the death of Pope Francis, an era ends who brought both challenges and changes for the Catholic Church.

his grave will be open to visitors from April 27th at 7 a.m., with the coffin being buried without floral decorations - one last request from the Pope itself.

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