The church to become Pope Francis’s resting place

Every time, Pope Francis returned to Rome after a trip abroad, he was keen to visit the Santa Maria Mager Church.

It was a suitable option: Francis was especially dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and Santa Maria Magor was the first church that was perpetuated when it was built in the fourth century.

It is one of the four main basilica in Rome and one of the oldest in the city.

On Saturday, it will also become the final place in Francis.

It is a short distance from some of the most famous landmarks in Rome, such as Colosseum, and Stone Smeraft from the Termini Term Station in the endless city. Esquilino diverse neighborhood near.

Santa Maria Magor is confused in “real” Rome – although it is part of the Vatican State.

The square on which it stands – lined with bus stations, cafes and shops – definitely looks a world away from the amazing Saint Peter’s Square and the important Kazlika, which is usually buried in the hidden -centuries -old.

However, the amazing church, mosaics, and wood in Santa Maria Maglor is still amazing. Seven other doors were buried here.

Bazilica also hosts what is said to be the remains of Jesus’ bed and the icon of Mary, which Pope Francis prays to seek protection before the trip.

The priest of Santa Maria Magior, Rolandas Macricas Lithuanian, gave the Italian newspaper El Misagro his novel on how to put the Pope’s decision to rest there.

He said: “In May 2022 … I asked him if there was no opportunity to think about burial [the basilica]Looking at the number of times it came. ”

Francis smiled and said that the Popes were buried in St. Peter – “and that was,” Macricas believed.

The priest continued: “After a week, he called me and said:” The Virgin Mary told me that preparing my tomb. ”

“Then he simply told me, I am looking for a place for that, because I want to bury this Bazilica and I was a little prophet.”

The place that Mackrickas found is located next to the Marie icon so that the Pope loved. It is now cordoned off and blocked from plywood.

The security guard, who wants to not be identified, told news stories of Pope Francis, who is visiting the church on many occasions.

He said: “Yes, we used to see him all the time when he came here.”

“After several times, I looked at me once and asked me,” Why are you always here? ”

And I said, “The Holy Father, I work as you are.”

When the security guard spoke, people continued to flow from the burning sun to the calm shade of Estelica.

Many wooden compartments outside the waiting list, each of which is covered with a sign that indicates the languages ​​that priests can hear inside confessions.

Each few minutes, the gossip will be calm with a voice with the sound of the amplifier: “Silenzio”.

Outside, a woman named Pat from Manchester stare in the sun and her thoughts gathered.

“I came here because this is the place where the Pope used to come before any trip,” she told the BBC.

“That is why I always wanted to come and did not disappoint you.”

After a temporary stop, she said: “Beautiful is not the word. It is just wide, it’s enormous.”

I apologize for her inability to put her emotions in words, she said she was “specially liked” that many of the six chapels carry different blocks at different times, “so if you are late on one, you can go to another.”

I heard the news about the death of the Pope when its UK plane landed in Rome on Monday morning.

She has never visited her. As a religious Catholic, she said that Santa Maria Magor “was always the place I wanted to come” because Francis loved it.

“I came without any kind of prejudices and made the point of not reading about this topic, I just wanted to take the atmosphere and feel it.”

“I did that,” she said, looking at the basilica. “I am full of spirit.”

Saturday afternoon, after the world had an opportunity to bid him farewell, Pope Francis will take his last journey from the Vatican to Santa Maria Magior, as he often did in life.

The church will be closed for a few hours, then the visitors will resume.

Some, like Pat, will continue to come to Bazilica and try to put something inappropriate in the words. Others will simply admire mosaics.

On the left side, through the icon of the Virgin Mary, the latest residents of Santa Maria Magor will begin its comfort.