First photos of Pope Francis' tomb show it is adorned with a single white rose and simple inscription - as thousands of mourners flock to the burial site in Rome after pontiff was laid to rest

Daily Mail​

27-04-2025

The Vatican has released the first images of the Pope's tomb at the Santa Maria Maggiore church in Rome after he was laid to rest on Saturday.
The burial site, which today opened tot he public, has already hosted a huge number of mourners, including cardinals and nuns, many of whom queued for hours to enter the church.
Pope Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was entombed at Santa Maria Maggiore church in a private ceremony after his public funeral in the Vatican, which drew more than 250,000 mourners from around the world on Saturday.
The 266th Pope's tomb at the church he visited frequently during his time as cardinal and pontiff is inscribed simply with his papal name, Franciscus, and adorned with a single white rose.
Above it is a crucifix illuminated by a single spotlight, making for a powerful display.
On Sunday, April 27, thousands of mourners queued outside the church - one of four major basilicas in the Italian capital - to pay their respects to the late Pope.
While some brought flowers, others were eager to get a photograph of the Pope's final resting place on their smartphones.
Numerous cardinals were seen arriving for a celebration of the Second Vespers - the evening prayers - and nuns were pictured praying in front of the late Pope's tomb.
Pope Francis was buried yesterday with a heartwarming obituary describing the first pontiff hailing from Latin America as a 'simple and much-loved shepherd'.
The obituary placed in his coffin described how Francis was the 266th Pope and that he would 'remain in the heart of the Church and of humanity'.
The funeral service was attended by the world's leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Prince William and Sir Keir Starmer.
Francis had been lying in state in a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc at the St Peter's Basilica since Wednesday morning for three days in public view, before the coffin was sealed ahead of his funeral yesterday.
It added that while in Buenos Aries as Archbishop he was a 'simple and much-loved shepherd' who 'traveled far and wide across the city on the underground and the bus, cooking his own meals because he felt one of the people'.
It closed by saying: 'Francis has left everyone a wonderful testimony of humanity, life of a saint and universal fatherhood.'
The zinc inner lid that covered his body carried his name, a cross and his coat of arms and the of his papacy, 2013-2025. Unlike previous Popes his was just a single coffin whereas previous ones had three caskets.
World leaders, dignitaries and tens of thousands of mourners gathered in St Peter's Square on Saturday to bid farewell to Pope Francis, one of the most radical Catholic leaders of modern times.
From first light, thousands of people made their way along Via della Conciliazione - the grand thoroughfare that leads to the Vatican - singing hymns, praying and swapping stories about Pope Francis.
Upon the beginning of the service, archbishops and bishops began to assemble in the Constantine Wing, a corridor adjacent to St Peter's Basilica. They wore chasuble (the outer garment worn by clergy during services), alb, belts and a simple white mitre.
Priests and deacons assembled at 8.30am in the area set aside for them in St Peter's Square. They wore a chasuble, alb, belt and a red stole.
At 9am, the patriarchs and cardinals met in Saint Sebastian's Chapel in the Basilica. They wore the white Damascene mitre.
They all then walked in the funeral procession alongside Francis's coffin, where the late Pope was dressed in a red chasuble, damask and golden papal mitre.
The funeral began at 10am local time and the coffin was set in the square in front of St Peter's Basilica.
The service was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Deacon of the College of Cardinals.
The Prince of Wales, who attended the service on behalf of the King, was listed beside the Prince of Norway in the 'order of precedence' for international attendees.
William and Haakon were listed in their own category as crown princes, and were followed in the order of precedence by representatives from the Andorran government.
The British Government delegation included Sir Keir Starmer, who was accompanied by his wife Victoria, as well as Foreign Secretary David Lammy, UK ambassador to the Vatican Chris Trott, and Ailsa Terry, the Prime Minister's private secretary for foreign affairs.
The UK Government delegation was listed between groups from Qatar and Serbia led by those countries' heads of government.
Ireland's delegation came ahead of both William and the British Government delegation as it is led by head of state President Michael D Higgins.
It fell between groups from Indonesia and Iceland, also led by those countries' heads of state.
Francis's birth country Argentina took precedence in the seating, followed by Italy.
The reigning sovereigns were then seated in alphabetical order in the French language, followed by heads of state.
The French language is used as traditionally French was considered the language of diplomacy.
Other figures in attendance included US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as former US president Joe Biden.
The funeral followed the Funeral Rites of the Roman Pontiff and the guidelines set out in Universi Dominici Gregis, a document issued by Pope John Paul II in 1996.
The ceremony began with the entrance antiphon, a selection of psalm verses or scripture passages that were traditionally sung or recited.
This was followed by the Penitential Act which allows the faithful to confess their sins to God.
The opening prayer came after the Penitential Act. The first reading was given in English by Kielce Gussie, a journalist from Vatican News.
The second reading was delivered in Spanish by Edgar Pineda.
Before the end of the mass, Cardinal Re sprinkled the coffin with holy water and incense.
At the end of the service, valedictory rite and final commendation, where the Pope is formally entrusted to God, took place.
Francis's coffin was then carried to the left of the altar at St Peter's.
Francis's coffin wastaken from St Peter's Square to Santa Maria Maggiore where he was buried.
The route crossed the river Tiber and passed Piazza Venezia followed by the Colosseum.
Francis left instructions asking to be buried in a simple underground tomb in Rome's papal basilica of Saint Mary Major.
This makes Francis the first pontiff in more than a century not to be buried at St Peter's Basilica. The last pope who asked to be buried outside of the Vatican was Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903.