JUST IN: Vatican Reveals Pope’s Last Wishes, Cause Of Death
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke that led to a coma and “irreversible” heart failure, according to his death certificate released by the Vatican.
His passing comes nearly a month after being discharged from a five-week hospital stay where he was treated for pneumonia.
The Vatican made the announcement Monday, accompanied by the release of the Pope’s final testament, in which he detailed his final wishes regarding his burial.
In the handwritten document, Pope Francis expressed a deep and lifelong devotion to the Virgin Mary and requested to be buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. His wish is a departure from tradition, as many of his predecessors are buried at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
“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,” the Pope wrote.
He noted that Saint Mary Major had long held personal significance, as it was his custom to pray there at the beginning and end of every apostolic journey.
His wish is for a simple tomb, without ornamentation, bearing only the Latin inscription “Franciscus”. The tomb is to be placed in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel and the Sforza Chapel, as outlined in a plan attached to his testament.
The Pope also noted that the cost of the burial would be covered by a benefactor and that arrangements had already been made with Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Commissioner of the Liberian Basilica.
He concluded his testament with a message of peace, saying, “The suffering that has marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord for peace in the world and fraternity among peoples.”
Pope Francis served as the 266th pontiff and was the first Jesuit and Latin American pope.
JUST IN: Vatican Reveals Pope’s Last Wishes, Cause Of Death is first published on The Whistler Newspaper