The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis’s body has been interred at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, Italy.
The late pontiff was laid to rest in one of Rome’s most historic basilicas, fulfilling his dying wishes, becoming the first Pope to be buried outside of the Vatican in over a century.
Pope Francis’s body was interred at a private event at Rome’s St. Mary Major Basilica as no fewer than 400,000 people from around the world converged on Rome for the funeral.
During the event, cardinals performed the rite for Pope Francis in front of a small group of family and friends.
The burial followed a series of memorial services, with Pope Francis’s body lying in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for public homage.
Recall that in the early hours of Monday, the demise of Pope Francis was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican’s camerlengo.
Also, according to the death certificate released by Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, Director of the Vatican’s Directorate of Health and Hygiene, Pope Francis died at 7:35 a.m. on April 21, 2025, in his apartment at Casa Santa Marta.
The certificate detailed that the 88-year-old pontiff suffered a stroke, which triggered a coma and subsequent heart failure.
The certificate further revealed that Pope Francis suffered from additional health complications that included a history of acute respiratory failure from bilateral pneumonia, multiple bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension, and type II diabetes.
Pope Francis’s death came as a shock to many, especially as he made a public appearance on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025.
Despite his frail health, the pontiff greeted thousands in St. Peter’s Square from his wheelchair, delivering a blessing.
Recall that the pope had faced serious health challenges in recent months. In February 2025, he was hospitalized for over five weeks at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital, initially for a respiratory tract infection that developed into bilateral pneumonia.
