Pope Francis' Funeral to Break Tradition with a Humble, Simplified Ceremony

Pope Francis has died at the age of 88, the Vatican announced Monday, and his upcoming funeral will look quite different from the grand pageants of his predecessors. While the event will still be rooted in centuries-old tradition, it will skip several of the more ornate and elaborate customs, reflecting changes Francis himself made to the papal funeral rites.

These new guidelines, formally approved in 2023 and included in the church's liturgical rulebook in early 2024, were designed to make the occasion less about power and more about humility. According to Archbishop Diego Ravelli, who worked closely with Francis on these revisions, the aim was to present the pope as "a shepherd and disciple of Christ and not a powerful man of this world." Considering the centuries of tradition being upended, that's quite a statement in itself.

Francis' health had been a public concern for some time. He struggled with pneumonia and, earlier in life, had half a lung removed. Despite these challenges, he remained active, even making a public appearance on Easter Sunday shortly before his passing.

One big change is the location of his burial. Instead of the Vatican grottoes where most popes have found their final resting place, Francis will be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in Rome. The new rules also open the door for future popes to be laid to rest outside the Vatican, a pretty bold shift for an institution not exactly known for rapid change.

Another update: the pope's body will no longer be displayed on an ornate bier, but instead laid directly in an open coffin. And forget the triple-casket tradition of cypress, lead, and oak—Francis' remains will be placed in a simple wooden-lined coffin right after his passing. The place of death declaration has even moved, now taking place in the papal chapel rather than the bedroom.

The confirmation of Francis' passing fell to Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the current camerlengo, who manages Vatican affairs during transitions. He expressed deep gratitude for Francis' example and commended his soul to God.

During the ceremony, Francis will be referred to primarily by Latin titles like "pope," "bishop," or "pastor" instead of the litany of previous honorifics. Archbishop Ravelli noted that these new rites were meant to "simplify and adapt certain rites so that the celebration of the funeral of the Bishop of Rome may better express the faith of the Church in the Risen Christ."

Before Francis' reforms, the Catholic Church followed funeral guidelines established by Saint John Paul II in 1998, which were used for the 2005 funeral of John Paul II and later tweaked for the extraordinary circumstances of Pope Benedict XVI's passing as a retired pope.

Francis' desire for a more humble and accessible farewell is now set to influence how future popes are remembered. In a world full of pageantry, sometimes the biggest statement is made by keeping it simple.