Rome, Apr 21 (EFE).- The Basilica of Santa María la Mayor paid tribute to Pope Francis this Tuesday on the first anniversary of his death, remembering with a plaque the 126 visits that the pontiff made to the temple where, by express wish, his remains rest.
Francis had frequented this basilica since before his election in 2013 and, as pope, he maintained the tradition of visiting it before and after each apostolic trip to entrust himself to the image of the Marian of the Salus Populi Romani, “protector of the Romans.”
The ceremony, presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, brought together cardinals, bishops, religious and dozens of faithful, including figures close to the pontiff such as his personal health assistant, Massimiliano Strappeti.
Also attending were the nun Geneviève Jeanningros, a close friend of the Argentine and key in his connection with vulnerable groups, such as fairgrounds and transsexual people, and Sister Raffaella Petrini, whom Francis appointed president of the Governorate of Vatican City State.
On the occasion of the first anniversary of the pontiff’s death, during the celebration a bronze commemorative plaque was unveiled with an inscription in Latin that records his devotion to the temple.
“Francis, Supreme Pontiff, who stopped 126 times in devout prayer at the feet of the Salus Populi Romani, of his own will rests in this Papal Basilica on April 26, 2026, the first anniversary of his death,” the inscription states.
A new pilgrimage point
Died on April 21, 2025 at the age of 88, Francis chose Santa María Maggiore as his burial place, breaking with the tradition of being buried in the Vatican grottoes.
After his funeral in St. Peter’s Square, his remains were transferred to a chapel in the left aisle, located between the Pauline chapel, where the Salus Populi Romani is venerated, and that of the Sforza family.
The tomb stands out for its simplicity: a Ligurian marble tombstone at ground level with the inscription ‘Franciscus’ and a reproduction on the wall of the cross he wore around his neck.
After the mass, the cardinals gathered in front of the tomb decorated today with yellow and white flowers and a candle, to pray together before his grave.
In this first year since his death, thousands of faithful have consolidated the Roman temple as the main point of memory of the Argentine pope.
Leo XIV’s message from Africa
During the mass, a message sent by his successor, Pope Leo XIV, who is currently in Equatorial Guinea finishing his tour of the African continent, was read.
In the letter, read by Cardinal Re, Leo XIV stressed that his predecessor knew how to read the change of era and offered a “courageous testimony.”
“He was Peter’s successor and pastor of the universal Church in a time that marked and still marks a change of era, that change of which He was fully aware, offering all of us a courageous testimony, which represents a significant heritage for the Church,” wrote Leo XIV.
The current pontiff praised the Argentine’s teaching as a “missionary-disciple” and rescued expressions that defined his pontificate, such as the “smell of sheep”, the Church as a “field hospital” and the urgency of bringing mercy “to everyone, to everyone, to everyone.”
“We still feel their exhortations resonate, expressed in eloquent words, to make the good news more understandable,” he added. EFE
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