Pope Francis's tomb opened to visitors

The cardinals gathered in Rome also plan to visit the tomb on Sunday. Before that, however, they will celebrate a Mass at 10:30 a.m. in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. It will be presided over by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as Cardinal Secretary of State under Francis and thus the number two in the Vatican.

Extraordinary resting place

Pope Francis had chosen the papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, rather than St. Peter's Basilica, as his final resting place. The Argentinian often prayed there before the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The only inscription on the tomb is his Latin papal name, "Franciscus."

Francis is only the eighth head of the Roman Catholic Church whose remains are to be interred in this church, and the first since Clement IX in 1669. Since 1903, all popes have been buried in the magnificent St. Peter's Basilica.

The funeral took place in Santa Maria Maggiore on Saturday in a small circle, after dozens of heads of state and government, monarchs, and numerous believers had paid tribute to the Pope at the funeral mass in St. Peter's Square. According to the Vatican, at least 400,000 believers attended the funeral ceremonies.

400,000 at funeral services on Saturday

"It was an extraordinary day, on which both the citizens of Rome and the faithful from all over the world bid farewell to Pope Francis with great sympathy. 400,000 people experienced a historic moment, and thanks to everyone's commitment, the day passed solemnly and peacefully, without incident," said the head of the Civil Protection, Fabio Ciciliano. "I would like to personally thank the entire Civil Protection Service, and in particular the 3,000 volunteers who assist the faithful with their generosity and humanity. This result is the result of extraordinary teamwork, in great synergy with the Prefecture of Rome," Ciciliano added.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thanked the security forces and the municipality of Rome for organizing the funeral ceremony, which was attended by 160 delegations. "The government's thanks and my own thanks go to all of them for ensuring, with professionalism, dedication, and service, the smooth running of a historic day for Italy and the entire world," Meloni said on social media.

The Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, expressed his satisfaction with the day's events. "On the occasion of Pope Francis's moving funeral, Rome provided the entire world with an extraordinary demonstration of organizational capacity, cohesion, and civic spirit. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the institutions, the government, the civil protection services, the police, and the armed forces. The complete success of a planetary event of extraordinary spiritual significance and great logistical complexity is thanks to them," said Gualtieri.

Nine days of mourning followed by election

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 in his Santa Marta residence in the Vatican, after attending Easter Mass the day before. The so-called Novendiale, the traditional nine-day mourning period for the Pope, will last until May 4. Shortly thereafter, the conclave will convene to elect a new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

The assembly of eligible cardinals must convene 15 to 20 days after the Pope's death, i.e., between May 5 and 10. The exact date for the conclave could be announced on Monday after another general congregation, the preparatory assembly of cardinals. Munich Cardinal Reinhard Marx expects the conclave, which will be strictly closed to the public, to last a few days.

Francis was the first pope from South America; his pontificate, which began on March 13, 2013, lasted just over twelve years. The modest and humorous Jesuit initially aroused hopes for reform in the Catholic Church, but this feeling later gave way to a certain disillusionment. Although he reformed the Vatican authorities and issued a new constitution to the Curia, further reforms failed to materialize.