Sat Apr 26 13:49:37 UTC 2025: **Pope Francis Laid to Rest in Beloved Roman Church**
ROME (April 26, 2025) – Pope Francis was buried today in the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in Rome, following a funeral mass in St. Peter’s Square. The 88-year-old pontiff, who died on Monday, was laid to rest in a 30-minute ceremony according to his wishes. The simple, unadorned tomb, located near the altar of Saint Francis, bears only the inscription “Franciscus” in Latin. The marble is from Liguria, the region of Italy where the Pope’s ancestors hailed from. The Pope’s decision to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore, a church to which he was deeply devoted, marks a departure from recent papal burial traditions, which typically take place in St. Peter’s Basilica. The basilica, one of four papal basilicas in Rome, is already the resting place of seven popes, most recently Clement IX in 1669. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, acting as camerlengo, oversaw the burial ceremony.
First Piper 