A papal funeral has traditionally been an elaborate affair, but Pope Francis recently approved plans to simplify the procedure.
Previous pontiffs were buried in three nested coffins made of cypress, lead, and oak. Pope Francis has opted for a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc.
He has also scrapped the tradition of placing the Pope’s body on a raised platform – known as a catafalque – in St Peter’s Basilica for public viewing.
Instead, mourners will be invited to pay their respects while his body remains inside the coffin, with the lid removed.
Francis will also be the first Pope in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican.
He will be laid to rest in the Basilica of St Mary Major, one of four major papal basilicas in Rome.
A basilica is a church that the Vatican has granted special significance and privileges. The major basilicas have a particular connection to the Pope.
- BBC
