Pope Francis Starts Planning His Funeral, Won’t Be Buried at Vatican

Pope Francis said he intends to have a simplified funeral and wants to be buried outside the walls of the Vatican — a decision that, if carried out, would break a century-old tradition.

The Argentina-born Pontiff said he instead plans to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, where he prays before and after traveling abroad.

"The place is already prepared," he told Valentina Alazraki, the Vatican correspondent for Mexico's N+ television station, per Reuters.

He joked that he had become a trendsetter by choosing a different burial location than his most recent predecessors. "I will launch a new funeral ritual [for popes]," Francis said.

He also revealed he's collaborating with the Vatican's master of ceremonies to cut down on the church's intricate funerary ceremonies for Pontiffs.

Francis has become known for rejecting several Vatican formalities, such as wearing a special crimson cape and gold cross.

When he became the head of the Catholic church in 2013, Francis chose to live in a modest two-room apartment rather than a more lavish Vatican residence typically reserved for popes.

Francis, who turns 87 on Sunday, has faced several serious health conditions this year. He underwent hernia surgery in June and spent three days in the hospital in March while suffering from a bout of bronchitis.

He underwent surgery for ongoing intestinal issues in 2021 and this month canceled a planned trip to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.

In the interview with N+, Francis appeared to be in high spirits and said his health was generally good. But he admitted he was facing the typical challenges of old age, adding it was only logical to make plans to prepare for the inevitable.

Francis discussed his funeral plans Tuesday in an interview for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which commemorates the days the Virgin Mary appeared before Juan Diego, a peasant who eventually became the first indigenous Catholic saint in the Americas.

In March, the Guardian editorial staff dubbed Francis "a kind of outsider pope" due to his unorthodox lifestyle as well as his relatively progressive beliefs regarding immigration, climate change, and LGBTQ rights, among other issues.