ROME: Thousands of people filed past the tomb of Pope Francis from early this morning, packing the Roman basilica where he had chosen to be buried in a break from tradition.
No pope had been laid to rest outside the Vatican in more than a century, but Francis opted instead for burial in Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major), located in the Italian capital’s most multicultural neighbourhood.
The pontiff’s coffin was taken there yesterday after his funeral mass in St Peter’s Square, with around 150,000 people lining the route through the heart of the city to say their farewells.