Every element in the images of Pope Francis lying motionless in his casket tells a tale, and there is much more to see than first glances.
It was immediately apparent that the late pope’s farewell would be different from all of his predecessors when the Vatican published the first sombre pictures of him in repose.
Pope Francis deviated from centuries of tradition in both minor and significant ways, staying true to the modest and reform-minded spirit he embodied throughout his pontificate.
His choice to forgo luxury in favour of simplicity was well thought out and spoke to his core beliefs, which were modesty, compassion for the underprivileged, and a rejection of excess.
The adored pope fought pneumonia in the last weeks of his life before dying on Monday at the age of 88 after a massive stroke that left him with permanent heart failure.
Those closest to him reported that he remained cognitively alert and spiritually calm right up until the death, despite his deteriorating health. In the company of his personal family and medical staff, he passed away quietly inside the Vatican.
The Vatican published moving pictures of Francis’s remains resting in state in a plainly furnished room in the Apostolic Palace on Tuesday.
His red liturgical vestments, which are typically linked with martyrdom and the blood of Christ, symbolised both his position as the Bishop of Rome and his unwavering commitment to making sacrifices for the Church and its members throughout his life.
Gently placed between his folded hands was a rosary, a mark of his intense Marian devotion and a spiritual instrument he frequently urged the faithful to use.
A number of sentimental and personal belongings were with him in the coffin. These included his crozier, a pastoral staff fashioned after a shepherd’s crook, and his mitre, the ceremonial headpiece worn by popes and bishops during liturgical services.
The crozier represents the pope’s function as the Good Shepherd, compassionately and wisely leading and directing the faithful.
A pair of Vatican coins struck during his pontificate were also placed inside the casket. This centuries-old custom commemorates the period he presided over the Catholic Church on earth and acts as a spiritual sacrifice as well as a symbolic record.
The rogito, a sealed document written in Latin that details the key occasions, accomplishments, and turning points of the pope’s life and reign, is among the most historically significant objects in the casket. To serve as a permanent record of his legacy for upcoming generations, the document is placed inside the coffin, sealed inside a metal tube.
Francis wore the Fisherman’s Ring on his right hand, but according to custom, it was broken before he was buried. Once used as a personal seal on papal papers, the ring is ceremoniously burned upon the death of a pope to signify the end of his power and to guard against abuse.
The breaking of the ring was particularly poignant for Francis, who frequently referred to himself as “a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon”—an act of humility signifying the restoration of his soul to God.
The coffin’s design is arguably the most aesthetically remarkable deviation from tradition. Francis had long voiced a wish for something more modest than the three nested coffins used for previous popes, which consisted of an outside oak casket, a middle lead coffin, and an inner cypress coffin. He selected a single wooden coffin that was lined with zinc and made of unadorned walnut.
His personal ethos is reflected in the decision. Francis, from the beginning of his pontificate, preferred basic white robes, plain black shoes, and a small guesthouse room at the Casa Santa Marta over extravagant clothing, gilded thrones, and elaborate papal palaces. Like his life, his funeral was intended to highlight spiritual substance rather than material splendour.
By defying convention, Francis was not dismissing the Church’s rich past but rather beckoning it into a new era where the emphasis is on the Gospel principles he frequently preached: justice, mercy, inclusiveness, and love, rather than spectacle.
The casket was watched over by the Swiss Guard and Vatican officials, who paid their respects in a solemn, intimate atmosphere – a private farewell for a pope who had always valued human connection over formality.
The contents of Pope Francis’s casket continue to speak quietly but forcefully of a life lived with conviction, a faith practiced with humility, and a mission carried out with steadfast compassion as preparations for the public ceremonies and final burial get underway.
His journey to serve the last, the least, and the lost is a reflection of the one he took every day.