Instead, the "Pope of the People" chose a church in the center of Rome that holds significance to him throughout his papacy as his final resting place. Santa Maria Maggiore, or St. Mary Major ...

The Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, which Pope Francis chose as his final resting place, is a fifth-century church located in the centre of Rome that already holds the tombs of seven popes.

Under planned arrangements, the ceremony will take place primarily within the Vatican, before Pope Francis’s body is transported across the River Tiber for burial at a basilica in Rome.

The Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, which Pope Francis chose as his final resting place, is a fifth-century church located in the centre of Rome that already holds the tombs of seven popes.