As of this morning, Pope Francis’ body has been transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica, where it will lie in state. The faithful will have the opportunity to pay their respects today, tomorrow, and the day after, until midnight each day. On Friday, access to the basilica will be allowed until 7 p.m.

On Saturday, immediately after the funeral, the body of the late Argentinian pontiff will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, near Rome’s central train station, in accordance with the wish expressed in his will. The pope, often referred to as the “pope of the poor,” specifically requested this final resting place.

Lastly, many of the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square have expressed to reporters their desire for Pope Francis’ canonization process to begin as soon as possible—just as it did following the death of John Paul II exactly twenty years ago.

Watch live footage from the Vatican:

Revelations from the Vatican on the Pope’s Final Hours – His “Thank You” to His Nurse

A sense of peace marked the final hours of Pope Francis, according to Vatican sources who shared details about his last afternoon.

On Easter Sunday, the 88-year-old Pontiff made his final public appearance. Though visibly frail and exhausted, he was brought in a wheelchair to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, from where he blessed the gathered crowd. Afterward, he was escorted through the people who had come to see him.

According to Sky News and close aides, Pope Francis spent a calm afternoon following the appearance, personally thanking the nurse who had been by his side. Specifically, a few hours before his Easter Sunday appearance, the Pope’s personal nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, asked him if he felt strong enough to proceed. The Pope insisted he wanted to appear, despite his deteriorating health.

After his blessing in St. Peter’s Square, he turned to his nurse and, emotionally moved, said:
“Thank you for bringing me back to the square.”

The rest of the day remained peaceful, with the Pontiff having a quiet evening and dining normally. He passed away in the early hours of Easter Monday.

The Legend of August Snow at the Church Where Pope Francis Will Be Buried

A week before his passing, Pope Francis left the Vatican to visit a church in Rome for prayer. It was the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the same church where he had long decided to be buried.

Throughout his 12-year papacy, Pope Francis visited Santa Maria Maggiore dozens of times.

He prayed there early on March 14, 2013, the day after becoming Pope. It was also the place he went in 2020 to pray for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic during lockdown, and following his abdominal surgeries in 2021 and 2023. He made it a tradition to pray there before each of his international trips.

Located about 4 kilometers from the Vatican, as noted by Reuters, Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the four papal basilicas of Rome.

Its ceiling, gilded with gold leaf, is said to be crafted from gold brought back from the New World by Christopher Columbus.

Inside the church is the famous icon of the Virgin Mary known as “Salus Populi Romani” (“Health of the Roman People”). A vase with golden roses—gifted by Francis in 2023—sits between candlesticks beneath the icon.

The church also houses a statue of Mary as Queen of Peace, commissioned by Pope Benedict XV in 1918 to appeal to God for an end to World War I.