Pope Francis, after a massive funeral, was buried in Santa María la Mayor

For the first time in the era of the modern church, a papal courtship has traveled the streets of the center of Rome to fire a pontiff. Francisco unmarked from tradition and He wanted to be buried outside the Vaticaneast of the city, in the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor, which retains the form of Roman pagan temple (it was originally a sanctuary in honor of the goddess Cibeles) and stands out for its profuse Byzantine decoration.

The courtship has not come out for San Pedro but by the door of Perugino in the Vatican and following the Antigua Via Papalisthe procession that the pontiffs were traditionally made after being designated between San Pedro and the Basilica of San Juan de Letán, Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome.

The wooden coffin with the remains of Francisco, who wanted to be buried with his spent shoes, has traveled on a Papamóvil and «Human pace» has advanced over six kilometersfired during the journey by thousands of faithful gathered in the streets of the center of Rome.

As soon as the Tiber river cross, when the faithful have shouted «big, big!» And «Long live the Pope!» The courtship has focused on the Corsican Vittorio Emmanuele until reaching the Plaza de Venezia and then advanced by the Roman forum and the Colosseum, and finally by the Mercuriana via to the Plaza de Santa María la Mayor.

About 300,000 people They have gumped along the six -kilometer journey through the streets of Rome. The faithful have concentrated mainly in the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, in the final stretch by the Roman forum and in the Plaza de Santa María la Mayor, to stone shooting of the Termini station.

Forty special guests of Caritas and of the Sant’Egidio community They have received the coffin before the Basilica, on behalf of the marginalized groups that Francisco defended: the Immigrantsthe homeless and the transgender people. The Holy See justified the election for fidelity to the legacy of Francisco’s social justice and claiming that «the poor have a privileged place in the heart of God.»

The coffin has entered the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor, preceded by the parade of cardinals who will attend the private ceremony and will raise this afternoon a prayer for Francisco.

Bergoglio will join seven other popes that repose in the temple, among whom San Pío V. The doors of the Basilica will close for the private ceremony of inhumation. «They wanted to be buried on earth, in a simple way and without particular decoration,» said the Pope. The registration «Franciscus» will identify its grave, before which thousands of faithful will parade from Sunday.

«Just after the sculpture of the Queen of Peace there is a small enclosure, a door that gives a room that they used to keep the candlesticks. I saw him and thought: ‘That is the place’ »… Vaticanist Javier Martínez-Brocal tells in his book The successor how and why Francisco chose to be buried, for his devotion to the Virgin and For your personal love for this basilicawhich used to visit before and after his trips.