Crowds line up to visit Pope Francis’ tomb in Rome as his last resting place opens to the public

Crowds of mourners waited in line on Sunday for a chance to visit Pope Francis’ final resting place in the Santa Maria Maggiore church in Rome, a day after his funeral service that was attended by world leaders and royalty.

Hundreds were seen filing past his tomb early on Sunday morning, while some 200,000 people were also still in the vicinity of St. Peter’s Square, according to the Vatican.

The Vatican released images of the late pontiff’s tomb, which show a white rose lying on a simple, marble tomb with the inscription “Franciscus.” Above is a crucifix illuminated by a single spotlight.

The simplicity of the tomb is notable compared to that of previous popes – and is fitting with the instructions in the pontiff’s will.

“The tomb must be in the earth; simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus,” the late pope said in his will, adding that the costs of his burial would be covered “by a sum provided by a benefactor.”

There are nods to Pope Francis’ heritage in its design: the marble used for the tomb came from Liguria, the northwestern Italian region from where his grandparents came.

Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, broke with tradition in his choice of a burial site. Popes are usually buried within Vatican City, beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, so Francis is the first pontiff in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican, with his final resting place being the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (also known as St. Mary Major) in Rome.

The pontiff was interred at the basilica on Saturday, after his wooden coffin was driven through the streets of Rome on the popemobile, passing the Colosseum and thousands of mourners on its way.

Perched on top of one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built, Santa Maria Maggiore is one of four papal basilicas and held a close spot in Pope Francis’ heart. It’s where he began his first full day as leader of the Catholic Church in 2013 and was also the first place he visited after leaving the hospital last month.

Francis revealed his plans to be buried there in December 2023, explaining that he felt a “very strong connection” with the basilica. “I want to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore,” Francis said. “Because it is my great devotion.”