For the first time in over a century, a pope will be buried outside the Vatican. Pope Francis will be laid to rest at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome — fulfilling his personal wish. His funeral will take place on Saturday, April 26, at 10 AM in St. Peter’s Square. Beginning Wednesday,

his body will lie in state at floor level inside the basilica, not on an elevated bier, with the Paschal candle nearby — a quiet but meaningful departure from tradition. As the Litany of Saints echoes through the church and mourners gather for a final goodbye, it’s the stripped-back simplicity of it all that speaks volumes. In life and now in death, Pope Francis chose compassion over ceremony — and that may be his most lasting legacy.