Pope Francis laid to rest in Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica
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According to Italy’s interior minister, more than 400,000 people attended the funeral and gathered along the streets of Rome.
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Dean of the College of Cardinals Giovanni Battista Re spreads incense around the coffin of Pope Francis during his funeral in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP)
Pope Francis was laid to rest in his favorite church in Rome following a funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced on Saturday.
The 88-year-old Argentinian pontiff was buried in a 30-minute ceremony that began at 1 pm local time (11 am GMT) at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
400,000 attendees
According to Italy’s interior minister, more than 400,000 people attended the funeral and gathered along the streets of Rome, significantly higher than the Vatican’s earlier estimate of 250,000.
“We estimate not fewer than 400,000 people between those present in St Peter’s Square and those along the route,” Matteo Piantedosi told TG5 news, according to AFP.
🇻🇦 POPE'S COFFIN ARRIVES AT BASILICA OF SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 26, 2025
Pope Francis' coffin has arrived at Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he will be laid to rest.
Carried off the Popemobile and into the church head first, Francis will be the first pope since 1903 to be… https://t.co/CuE3aPNorw pic.twitter.com/rOS81XT65H
Pope Francis, 88, passed away on Monday following a stroke and subsequent heart failure, triggering a series of time-honored rituals and a large-scale, carefully coordinated security and logistical operation, the most extensive in Italy since Pope John Paul II’s funeral in April 2005.
Salute to Pope's compassion, peace advocacy
The crowd broke into applause as 14 white-gloved pallbearers carried the late pontiff’s wooden coffin from the altar of the 16th-century St. Peter’s Basilica, where it had lain in state for three days, into the square for the open-air funeral ceremony.
The body of Pope Francis has been laid to rest at Santa Maria Maggiore #funeralipapafrancesco #funerali #popefrancisfuneral pic.twitter.com/BnwMvDLVxP
— Zofia (@Zosia_Czubak) April 26, 2025
Applause also echoed through the square when Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who led the Mass, highlighted Francis’ compassion for migrants, his unwavering calls for peace, his emphasis on dialogue to resolve conflicts, and his advocacy for climate action.
Over 250,000 pilgrims filled the Vatican and surrounding streets for Pope Francis’ funeral, joined by more than 2,000 journalists, as 220 cardinals, 750 bishops, and over 4,000 priests took part in a 90-minute Mass honoring a pontificate that deeply moved hearts and minds. His tomb at St. Mary Major was built with stone from Liguria, his grandparents' homeland.
'Franciscus'
Pope Francis' tomb, marked simply with the word "Franciscus" and a replica of his pectoral cross, is located near the Altar of St. Francis in a spot linked to his family heritage, reflecting his personal wishes, according to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas.
The tomb of #PopeFrancis at the Basilica of St. Mary Major has been revealed. It's Ligurian marble with just his name, Franciscus, and a reproduction of his pectoral cross. pic.twitter.com/RRzlxwTuv6
— Catholic News Service Rome (@CatholicNewsSvc) April 24, 2025
In the small town of Cogorno, a slate plaque honors Pope Francis’ great-grandfather, Vincenzo Sivori, who emigrated from Italy to Argentina, where his granddaughter, Francis’ mother, was born.
Though the pope kept his Ligurian roots mostly private, locals were touched and surprised by his request for tombstone material from his ancestral region, which his relatives called “one last surprise” and a meaningful gift to the family.
