VATICAN CITY: When it comes to his funeral, Pope Francis, who has avoided most of the glitz and glory of being the head of the Catholic Church worldwide, has decided that a straightforward wooden coffin will do.
Pope Francis will forgo the centuries-old custom of burying the late pope in three interlocking caskets made of cypress, lead, and oak, according to a new ceremonial ceremony announced by the Vatican on Wednesday. Rather, the pope will be laid to rest in a single wooden coffin lined with zinc.
Additionally, unlike previous popes, the deceased pope will not be displayed for Rome’s visitors to see atop a catafalque, or raised platform, in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Francis’s remains will remain inside the casket, with the lid removed, but visitors are still welcome to pay their respects.
Francis, who turns 88 on December 17, has had sporadic health problems in recent years, but in recent months, he has appeared to be in excellent health.
Because of his back and knee issues, he is currently in a wheelchair, yet he completed two difficult international journeys in September and convened a significant, month-long gathering of Catholic leaders at the Vatican last month.
The pope stated last year that he wished to streamline the ornate, lengthy burial ceremonies that were performed for his predecessors.
