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8h ago

Cardinals Set to Finalize Conclave Date as Thousands Visit Pope Francis’s Tomb

The late pontiff’s simple burial site at Santa Maria Maggiore draws massive crowds, while Church leaders prepare to elect his successor in early May.

A white rose is placed on Pope Francis' tomb in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
FILE - Tables and chairs line the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in preparation for the conclave, on April 16, 2005. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito, File)
Hundreds of people waited in line to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis.
People queue to visit the tomb of the late Pope Francis in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore), in Rome, Italy, April 27, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Greco

Overview

  • Pope Francis was laid to rest in a modest white marble tomb at Santa Maria Maggiore, marking the first papal burial outside the Vatican in over a century.
  • Thousands of mourners visited the tomb on Sunday, the second day of the nine-day mourning period, with long queues forming at the basilica.
  • Cardinals will meet on Monday to determine the start date of the conclave, expected to begin between May 5 and May 10, to elect the next pope.
  • Cardinal Pietro Parolin, considered a leading candidate to succeed Francis, led a special Mass attended by 200,000 people in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday.
  • Francis’s legacy as a reformist and advocate for humility and social justice remains central to discussions about the future direction of the Church.