Pope Francis breaks tradition with final wish as burial request revealed

The final burial wishes of Pope Francis have signalled a break with the usual tradition that normally kicks in when a pope dies.

Pope Francis had been unwell for a while, but appeared on the main balcony of St Peter's Basilica on Easter Sunday (20 April) the day before he died.

The Vatican released a statement the following day (21 April) announcing that the pope had died that morning at the age of 88.

"At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father," they said.

"His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised.

Pope Francis, pictured on 20 April the day before he died (TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images)

"With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune."

There now follows a period of mourning before the burial.

Pope Francis struggled with health issues throughout his time in the Vatican, which is rather understandable considering he was already a very old man when he got the job.

Given his advanced age he wrote his final burial request in 2022, writing that he could 'sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life', and gave instructions that signal a major break from papal tradition.

Traditionally, when a pope dies they get three coffins placed inside each other, one made of cypress wood, one of lead and one of elm.

Once the coffins have been put together the pope's body is placed inside and buried beneath St Peter's.

Pope Francis pictured at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in 2015, in a break with tradition he's asked to be buried there (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

However, Pope Francis made a request that breaks with this tradition as he will be buried in a much simpler way, only getting one coffin made of wood and lined with zinc.

He will also not be buried at St Peter's, with his remains instead interred at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.

Seven previous popes have been buried at this site, so he won't be the first to ever have his remains interred there, but the last pope to be buried there died in the 17th Century so it's been a long time since they had a new pope to bury.

He also asked that his simple burial be extended to the inscription on his coffin, with him writing: "The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus."

So that's what will happen to him as he's laid to rest, while the process of picking a new pope must also be undertaken.