Pope Francis has requested a modest burial at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, according to his will, which the Vatican made public on Monday.

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The will, dated 29 June 2022, outlines the late pontiff’s desire to be laid to rest in an unadorned grave, marked only with the name “Franciscus.”

“I wish my last earthly journey to end at this very ancient Marian shrine,” Francis wrote. He noted that he had visited the basilica at the start and end of every apostolic journey during his 12-year papacy. On his very first day as pope in 2013, he quietly left the Vatican to pray there.

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Francis also made regular visits to St. Mary Major after hospital stays, including on 23 March, when he returned from a 38-day admission to Gemelli Hospital. On that occasion, he remained in the car during the visit.

'Simple, without particular decoration'

In the will, Francis requested that his tomb be placed directly in the earth, “simple, without particular decoration.” He asked that it be located in the aisle near the Pauline Chapel, where the revered icon of the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani, is displayed.

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He said he wished to be buried there in gratitude to the Virgin Mary “for her docile and maternal care.”

This preference was first shared by the pope in a 2023 interview with a Mexican TV programme, where he said he wanted to be buried at St. Mary Major “because of my great devotion.”

The Vatican also released Francis’ official death certificate on Monday. It stated he died at 7:35 AM local time from a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and an “irreversible” cardiac arrest.

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The date he signed his will, 29 June, is the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul—a public holiday in Rome. In the document, Francis reflected on the nearing end of his life, writing that he felt “the sunset of my earthly life is approaching with lively hope in eternal life.” He also referred to “the suffering that has been present in the last part of my life.” The previous year, he had undergone colon surgery at Gemelli Hospital, marking his first admission there.

In the final lines of his will, Francis wrote a message often echoed in his speeches: he asked God to “give the deserved reward to those who loved me and will continue to pray for me.”