On Saturday, Pope Francis was laid to rest in his favoured Roman church after a funeral Mass at St Peter’s Square.
The 88-year-old pontiff, who passed away on Monday, was interred during a brief 30-minute ceremony that commenced at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) within the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Rome’s most significant ancient churches.
Video footage released by the Holy See captured cardinals affixing red wax seals to his simple wooden and zinc coffin.
READ ALSO: Pope Francis dies at 88: Vatican enters mourning, funeral to take place Saturday
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo oversees the Vatican’s operations until a new pope is chosen, sprinkled holy water over the coffin before it was lowered into its resting place in a side alcove.
Above the tomb hangs a replica of the pectoral cross Francis wore throughout his papacy.
Honouring his wish for humility, Francis had requested a plain burial site, with the tombstone bearing only the Latin inscription “Franciscus.”
The marble used for the tomb was sourced from Liguria, a region tied to the Argentine-born pope’s ancestral roots.
The late pontiff, born Jorge Bergoglio, had specified in his will both his burial place and the desire for a modest memorial, situated near the altar dedicated to Saint Francis.
His deep devotion to the Virgin Mary was well known; before and after each international trip, he made a point of visiting Santa Maria Maggiore to offer prayers.
Although several popes have been interred in the basilica, it had been centuries since the last — Pope Clement IX — was buried there in 1669.
In more recent times, St Peter’s Basilica had become the customary burial site for popes.
READ ALSO: Pope Francis’s final journey: White popemobile carries coffin to Santa Maria Maggiore
Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Rome’s four major papal basilicas, houses not only papal tombs but also the remains of notable figures like Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the architect behind St Peter’s Square.
Constructed in the 5th century under Pope Sixtus III, the church is home to revered relics, including an icon of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus, traditionally attributed to Saint Luke.
