Pope Francis has asked to be buried at the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, the ancient Roman sanctuary where he began and ended every papal journey with prayer.
His final wishes, revealed in a brief yet deeply personal handwritten will, have stirred quiet awe across Uganda’s Catholic community, many of whom regard him as the last truly humble pope.
“I entrust myself to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” Francis wrote. “Let my tomb be simple, bearing only the name Franciscus.”
The Pope, now in the final chapter of his life at age 88, has requested to be laid to rest between the Pauline and Sforza chapels—beneath the same basilica he repeatedly visited during his papacy, always in solitude, never on show.
Catholics in Uganda, where the Church has long looked to Rome for spiritual compass, have responded with reverence.
“His humility even in death is a sermon,” said Fr Emmanuel Ssembatya of Lubaga. “This is not just about a pope’s burial—it's about the legacy of a shepherd who never made the throne his identity.”
Pope Francis' body is lying in state at St Peter’s Basilica for three days before his burial on Saturday, April 26.
Tens of thousands of faithful have been lining up to pay their last respects. His funeral will be held in St Peter’s Square, with cardinals from around the world expected to concelebrate Mass, led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals.
Uganda’s Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala and Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere are both expected to attend.
Francis' decade-long papacy has been defined by bold simplicity. From his early decision to shun the traditional Apostolic Palace for a modest guesthouse room, to his relentless appeal for peace, climate justice and care for the poor, he often ruffled feathers in Rome even as he won hearts globally.
“His focus on mercy made the Church feel alive again,” said Sister Monica Nantume of Kampala. “He didn’t just speak to theologians; he spoke to mothers, labourers, the broken.”
A will so short, so stripped of grandeur, only deepens the symbolism. Francis rejected ornamentation in death as he had in life.
He wrote that the burial costs will be covered by a benefactor’s donation, entrusted to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the Vatican official overseeing the basilica.
Even in his parting words, Francis remained true to form: “The suffering that has marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples.”
Ugandans who woke to the news of his final wishes have flooded social media and parish bulletin boards with prayers and tributes. “Francis was our people’s pope,” tweeted one Kampala believer. “He spoke softly but made the world listen.”
By the time he is laid to rest at Santa Maria Maggiore, tens of thousands will have viewed his body, and perhaps millions more will have paused to reflect on what he represented: a man who led the Church not from above, but from among.