Just a few days after becoming pope, Pope Francis revealed his burial wishes upon his death.
In March 2013, Pope Francis was elected during a conclave by the Cardinals of the Catholic Church following Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to step down amid health concerns.
“It was his belief that he may not live very long,” Neomi DeAnda, a trained constructive theologian, told Fox News Digital. “He was already in his 70s when he was elected pope, and he wanted to be prepared when God called him home.”
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Pope Francis selected the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore as his final resting place just days after being elected pope in 2013. (Yara Nardi/Reuters)
DeAnda holds a Ph.D. in theology from Loyola University in Chicago, a master’s in theology from the Oblate School of Theology and a master’s in theology from St. Mary’s University in Texas. She is an expert in Latin American studies and on Mary in Latin America.
“He did not know how much longer he would live, and since he was chosen pope at an older age, he definitely did not expect to have such a long papacy,” DeAnda said. “He wanted to have his wishes available in case God called him home.”
Pope Francis selected the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore as his final resting place.
“It has some significance for his grandparents,” DeAnda told Fox News Digital. “His grandparents were the ones who immigrated to Argentina with his dad and, I believe that they lived close to and visited that Basilica.”
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Pope Francis met with Vice President JD Vance on Easter Sunday, just hours before he passed away. (Vatican Media via AP)
On March 13, 2013, Pope Francis appeared for the first time in public as pope at the Basilica.
“That has been his favorite place to visit,” DeAnda said. “It’s a place that he goes to every time that he is going on a trip. He goes there to pray before he goes on a trip.”
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, was the first pope from the American continents.
His family escaped facism in Italy and fled to Argentina, according to his autobiography.
“There is a great story about how they were trying to board a certain boat, a certain ship for their immigrant travels, and they did not make that ship because they were not able to sell all their goods,” DeAnda said of Pope Francis’ dad and grandparents. “That ship is called the SS Principessa Mafalda.”
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Pope Francis often visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a place that reminded him of his family. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty)
DeAnda added that the ship meant to carry Pope Francis’ family capsized.
“It’s possible that his grandparents would have died on that ship,” DeAnda said. “They made it on that ship, and then we get Francis and his 10 siblings because of that.”
The Vatican revealed that Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, the day after Easter Sunday.
