In a brief encounter with the media, Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, assistant archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, explained why Pope Francis chose to be buried in the Liberian basilica: a decision inspired by the Mother of God, depicted in the icon to which the Pope had a deep devotion.

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Just before the funeral Mass of Pope Francis, the Presidents of the United States and Ukraine met for a "very productive" discussion on the ongoing war in Ukraine.

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The world gathers in the heart of Rome for the Pope’s final farewell. A mosaic of faces, languages, and songs weaves a living atlas beneath the sky over St Peter's Square. It’s not a goodbye, but the beginning of a journey that continues — a poem “that will never reach the last verse.”

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Pope Francis’ decision to be buried in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major is “surprising… but not novel,” according to historian Donald Prudlo, who in this interview reflects on the significance of papal burial places.

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After the funeral Mass, Pope Francis’ mortal remains were carried through Rome to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where he was laid to rest near the icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani.

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St. Cletus was the third bishop of Rome, and succeeded St. Linus, which circumstance alone shows his eminent virtue among the first disciples of St. Peter in the West. He sat twelve years, from 76 to 89. The canon of the Roman mass, (which Bossuet and all others agree to be of primitive antiquity,) Bede, and other Martyrologists, style him a martyr. He was buried near St. Linus, on the Vatican, and his relics still remain in that church.

In his homily at the Requiem Mass for Pope Francis, the Dean of the College of Cardinals recalls the highlights of his intense and prophetic 12 years of pontificate marked by his closeness to the people, especially the least and the last amongst us, and his deep love for the Church open to everyone.

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For the Octave of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, Jenny Kraska reflects on the peace offered by the Risen Lord as the Church marks the passing of Pope Francis.

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Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster offers Vatican News a personal reflection on the defining character of the late pontiff’s ministry: joy and hope deeply rooted in the relation with God.

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The Deed for the Pious Passing of His Holiness Pope Francis has been placed in his coffin, which was sealed in a solemn rite ahead of his Requiem Mass.

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