Pope planning his funeral

The current pontiff plans to be the first pope in more than a century to be buried outside of the Vatican. He is working with staff in the Holy See to simplify the rite of papal funerals, and joked to the interviewer that he would be the one to debut it. The last of the pontiff’s antecedents to be buried outside the Vatican was Leo XIII in 1924, when his remains were moved from St. Peter’s Basilica to the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Pope Francis’ wish is to be buried at the Borghese Chapel of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the home of the ‘Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus’ icon, painted by Luke the Evangelist. “It is my great devotion,” Francis said. “As I always promised the Virgin, and the place is already prepared, I want to be buried in St. Mary Major.” The pontiff added that he prays at the icon before and after every international visit. https://www.rt.com/news/589080-pope-francis-funeral-plan/