The visitation of Pope Francis’ tomb will be open to the public from Sunday (27).
The pontiff was buried on Saturday (26) in a private ceremony in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
The coffin with the body of Francis went through a route with 150,000 people in Rome before arriving in the Basilica, according to Vatican News.
This Sunday, from 7am, local time, (2 hours in Brasília), the doors will be opened for the visitation of the faithful in the grave.
During the afternoon, at 16h, at Rome time, (11am GMT) the College of Cardinals will meet to pray a mass at the site.
Pope asked for simple tomb on a will
In Pope Francis’ will, signed on July 29, 2022, the Pontiff sought to reinforce his will as to his burial.
He expressed that he would like his remains to be placed in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, in a simple grave, excavated in the ground, without decoration and only with the inscription “Franciscus”.
Finally, Francis left the message that he offered “the Lord the suffering that was present in the last part of my life for world peace and the fraternity among peoples.”
“I have always trusted my life and my priestly and episcopal ministry to the mother of our Lord, Santa Maria. Therefore, I ask my remains to rest waiting for the day of resurrection in the papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore,” says the document.
Located at the top of one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built, Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the four papal basilicas. Its belfry is the highest in the Italian capital, 75 meters high, and its hill position makes it the highest point in town.
Legend has it that the Virgin Mary sought Pope Liberius and an Italian aristocrat asking the church to be built in his honor in a place that would be miraculously revealed.
Mount Esquilino in Rome was identified as the place after snowfall in its summit in August 358 at the height of summer. Currently, a celebration that marks the “Snow Miracle” takes place in the Basilica on August 5 of each year.
The church as it is today was commissioned by Pope Sisto III in the year 431. The mosaics date from this time, and the interior also bears classic columns looted from other buildings, although it is involved in a neoclassical facade built in the eighteenth century.
The Church has long had a special meaning for Pope Francis, who used to visit her on Sunday mornings to honor the Virgin Mary.
Francis is the first Pope over a century to be buried outside the Vatican walls.
This content was originally published on the visitation of Pope Francis’ tomb is open to the public this Sunday on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
