He will be the first pope to be buried outside of the Vatican in more than a century. Francis chose that site because he prayed there often. It also was a site he frequented often

"The outpouring of affection that we have witnessed...tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and hearts."

Francis, who took his name after Saint Francis of Assisi, was known for his outreach to the poor and those in poverty and that will be reflected in his minimalist burial at Saint Mary Major. He is the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in over a century and the first to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore in more than 300 years.