Shafaqna English– Pope Francis expressed his wish to be entombed in the Maria Maggiore basilica in 2023.
Located in the heart of Rome, the fifth-century church already holds the tombs of seven popes. The last pope to be buried there was Clement IX in 1669, while the last pontiff to be buried outside the Vatican was Leo XIII in 1903, whose final resting place is the Church of Saint John Lateran, the Cathedral of the bishop of Rome.
Francis was very devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary and made a point to pray in Santa Maria Maggiore before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return. Most recently, he prayed to the icon of the Virgin Mary inside the basilica on April 12, to mark the beginning of the Holy Week that culminated in Easter.
One of four papal basilicas in Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore holds the remains of several other renowned personalities, such as the architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who designed St Peter’s Square and its surrounding columns.
The interior of Santa Maria Maggiore remains close to its origins. The central nave is lined by 40 Ionic columns and contains exquisite mosaics.
The basilica holds some of the Church’s most important relics, including an icon of the Virgin Mary (SA) holding the baby Jesus (AS) attributed to Saint Luke. It also holds pieces of wood believed to have been from Jesus’ crib. The basilica’s website says recent studies have dated the wood from the period of Jesus’s (AS) birth.
Source: Al Jazeera