Funeral For Pope Francis Will Deviate From Tradition

The funeral of Pope Francis will depart from the traditional funeral proceedings of popes in several significant ways at the request of the late pontiff.

Francis died on Monday at the age of 88 after a severe bout of double pneumonia. Before he passed away, the Bishop of Rome made some stark changes to his funeral rites last year, breaking from the forms followed by his predecessors.

Popes have typically been laid to rest in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica. Francis directed that he should be interred in Rome’s St. Mary Major Basilica, to which the late pope had a “very strong” connection. Francis, as pope, visited St. Mary’s more than 100 times, according to the New York Post.

Francis’ coffin will also be a marked departure from tradition. Popes have typically been buried in a series of three interlocking coffins made of cypress, elm, and lead. Francis has directed that he should be buried in a simple wooden casket with a zinc lining.

The Vatican’s death bells rang out 88 times to mark the pope’s passing at noon on Monday. Traditionally, the bells have been saved until the hour of the pope’s death or the announcement of his death.

VATICAN CITY—Already departing from Tradition, the Vatican chose to ring the death bells for Pope Francis, not at the hour of his death (or even when it was announced), but at noon, today.

The bells rang 88 times for his 88yrs on earth:

????: @MountainButorac pic.twitter.com/1a7mbcgYkD

— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) April 21, 2025

Vice President JD Vance was one of the last people to see Francis alive, meeting with the pontiff on Easter Sunday during an official visit to Rome to meet with members of the Italian government. Francis gifted Vance a Vatican tie, rosaries, and three chocolate Easter eggs for his children. The Vatican said that the vice president and the pope shared a “cordial conversation” during the brief visit.

Vance reacted to the pope’s passing in a post on X on Monday.

“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul,” Vance posted, sharing a homily Francis gave in 2020.

I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.

I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days…

— JD Vance (@JDVance) April 21, 2025