Vatican releases Pope Francis's will
Photo: Pope Francis (Getty Images)
The spiritual will of Pope Francis, who passed away yesterday at the age of 88, has been made public. The document was drafted nearly three years before the pontiff's death, according to Vatican News.
In Pope Francis's will, dated June 29, 2022, he specified the location of his future burial - the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. It also stated that his tombstone would only bear the inscription "Franciscus" (Francis), referring to the 266th Pope of Rome.
The full text of the document, released by the Vatican News portal, is as follows:
"In the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
As I sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life, and with firm hope in eternal life, I wish to set out my final wishes solely regarding the place of my burial.
Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, I ask that my mortal remains rest, awaiting the day of the Resurrection, in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care.
I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the Basilica, as shown in the attached plan.
The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.
The cost of preparing the burial will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I have arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. I have given the necessary instructions regarding this to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Liberian Basilica.
May the Lord grant a fitting reward to all those who have loved me and who continue to pray for me. The suffering that has marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples.
Santa Marta, 29 June 2022
FRANCIS"
Pope Francis’s death
On the morning of April 21, it was reported that Pope Francis passed away at his residence in the Vatican's Santa Marta House. He was 88 years old. He was the 266th head of the Roman Catholic Church and held this position since March 13, 2013.
Later, it was revealed that Pope Francis passed away due to a brain hemorrhage. The Vatican later confirmed the official cause of death, stating that Pope Francis died due to a stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse (a condition in which the heart and blood vessels cease functioning, and it is impossible to revive them).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the death of Pope Francis, offering condolences and noting that the pontiff had always prayed for peace in Ukraine and for the Ukrainian people.
The funeral ceremony of the pontiff usually takes place between the 4th and 7th day after death.
Following the farewell, the election of the new Pope will take place no earlier than the 15th day and no later than the 20th day after the Pope’s death. Cardinals from around the world who are under the age of 80 (currently 120 individuals) will gather in a conclave at the Vatican.
