Pope Francis's final message: Humble burial among society's margins

Pope Francis left a coded message in his funeral arrangements, emphasizing the place of his Church — "on the margins of society," according to an article published by the British magazine The Economist titled "The Pope’s last coded message."

The article notes that the pontiff ordered that he be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, located in a modest district of Rome just a few hundred meters from the city's main railway station. "The Pope had arranged to be buried as far as decently possible from the Vatican," Caliber.Az reports.

"The message that shone through Francis’s provisions for his departure was that the true place of his church was on the margins of society," the article states.

Shortly before his death, the Pope spent almost all his personal funds — around 200,000 euros — to pay off the debt of a pasta factory established in one of Rome’s juvenile prisons, the magazine notes.

Francis was known for rejecting many traditional trappings of the papacy. For example, he refused to move into the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the head of the Catholic Church, preferring instead to live in a modest two-room suite in the Vatican guesthouse.

​Pope Francis was laid to rest on Saturday, 26 April 2025, in a funeral that reflected his lifelong commitment to humility, inclusion, and service to the marginalised. The ceremony drew over 250,000 mourners to St. Peter’s Square, including global leaders, royalty, clergy, and ordinary faithful from around the world.​

The funeral was attended by numerous dignitaries, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Prince William. Notably, Trump and Zelenskyy held a brief meeting during the event, signaling potential diplomatic progress ​

By Khagan Isayev