Francis, who took his name after Saint Francis of Assisi, was known for his outreach to the poor and those in poverty and that will be reflected in his minimalist burial at Saint Mary Major. He is the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in over a century and the first to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore in more than 300 years.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama also held a mass for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis. Bishop Steven Raica led the mass which was also the anticipated mass for Divine Mercy Sunday.