As the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis, the Roman Catholic Church is gearing up for a momentous farewell. With plans in place for his funeral, this event is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of mourners, yet the costs are anticipated to be significantly lower than those of his predecessors.
A Humble Departure: Francis’s Wishes
Pope Francis’s body has been lying in state at St. Peter’s Basilica since Wednesday, allowing the faithful to pay their respects. Celebrities and world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, are expected to attend the funeral scheduled for Saturday morning.
Unlike his predecessors, who opted for lavish send-offs, Pope Francis had a vision for a more modest burial. In a move that surprised many, he revised the traditional burial protocol in 2024. Instead of a triple coffin crafted from cypress, oak, and lead, popes can now be interred in a single wooden coffin lined with zinc. This shift not only reflects the Pope’s values but also aligns with his wishes to be buried outside Vatican walls.
His final resting place will be at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, marking a historic moment as he becomes the first pope to be buried there since the 1600s and the first in over a century to be interred outside Vatican City.
Living Modestly: The Legacy of Pope Francis
Elected in 2013, Pope Francis became synonymous with humility. Opting for the Vatican guest house over the luxurious Apostolic Palace, he frequently traveled in modest vehicles and delighted in visiting ordinary communities rather than the corridors of power. As Massimo Faggioli, a professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University, noted, Francis "was always more enthusiastic about going places where normal people lived."
In his last will and testament, released just prior to his death, Francis revealed that an unnamed benefactor would cover his burial expenses, which will be directed to the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. "It’s about symbols," Faggioli said, emphasizing the importance of symbolism in Catholicism, particularly in the context of Francis’s final wishes.
Financial Challenges for the Vatican
While the specific cost of Pope Francis’s funeral remains undisclosed, historical context reveals that previous papal funerals have come with hefty price tags. The deaths of two popes in 1978 resulted in expenses totaling about $20 million—equivalent to over $101 million today. More recently, the funerals of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI cost approximately $9 million combined.
Unfortunately, the Vatican has encountered significant financial struggles in recent years, necessitating reforms that have sometimes caused friction among church leaders. Reports indicate a staggering $87 million budget shortfall for the Church last year, which can be attributed, in part, to shifting demographics: fewer Catholics in wealthy nations and growing needs in underserved areas.
Crowds and Mourning in Rome
Rome is already bustling with visitors due to Holy Week, which has drawn in large numbers of the faithful. While it’s uncertain how many will remain to pay their respects to Pope Francis, tens of thousands have already lined up at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Historically, papal funerals attract massive crowds. Notably, in 2005, 4 million people came to Rome for Pope John Paul II’s funeral, while 100,000 mourned Pope Paul VI in 1978. Last year, Pope Benedict’s funeral saw 50,000 at St. Peter’s Square, alongside more than 136,000 viewers via the Vatican’s YouTube livestream.
As demand for accommodations spikes, hotels near Vatican City are already fully booked. Residenza Paolo VI, one of the closest hotels, is sold out through mid-May, with similar reports from TMark Hotel Vaticano.
With this historic funeral approaching, the world prepares to bid farewell to a pope whose legacy will be defined not just by his achievements, but by his unwavering commitment to humility, simplicity, and compassion.
