The upcoming funeral for Pope Francis will incorporate many traditional elements but will also omit some of the more elaborate customs, reflecting the changes he made to the Catholic Church’s papal funeral rites.

Pope Francis passed away on Monday at the age of 88, according to the Vatican.

While many traditions associated with papal funerals, some of which date back centuries, will remain, certain aspects will differ. These include the design of Francis’ coffin, the process for verifying his death, his burial site, and how he will be presented and addressed during the services.

Francis had a history of health issues, including pneumonia in the weeks leading up to his death. He had also undergone surgery to remove part of a lung when he was younger.

According to Archbishop Diego Ravelli, who worked with Francis on the revisions, the changes were driven by the pope’s desire to emphasize the role of the pope as “a shepherd and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful man of this world.” The rewrite also took into consideration Pope Benedict XVI’s funeral, which was unique because he was a retired pope.

Francis formally approved the new funeral rites in 2023, and they were published in the church’s liturgical guidelines in early 2024. Around the same time, he revealed in an interview that he would be buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, rather than in the Vatican grottoes. The new rites also allow future popes to be buried outside the Vatican.

In addition to the different burial location, the revised rites change how the pope’s body will be viewed by the public. Previously, the body was displayed on a raised platform or bier. Under the new rules, the pope will be placed directly into an open coffin, eliminating the bier. Pope Francis also did away with the tradition of using three coffins made of cypress, lead, and oak.

The location for the formal declaration of the Pope’s death has also been changed, from the papal bedroom to the papal chapel. The new rules also state that Pope Francis’ remains must be immediately placed in a simple, wood-lined coffin after his death is confirmed.

The camerlengo, a senior clergy member who manages the Vatican during the transition between popes, is responsible for confirming the death. Cardinal Kevin Farrell currently holds this position and said on Monday, “With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”

Another significant change concerns how the pope will be referred to during the ceremony. Instead of using past titles, officials will primarily use Latin terms for “pope,” “bishop,” or “pastor.”

During a 2024 presentation, Archbishop Ravelli stated that the new edition reflects Francis’s desire to “simplify and adapt certain rites so that the celebration of the funeral of the Bishop of Rome may better express the faith of the Church in the Risen Christ.”

Before the new edition, papal funerals followed the guidelines in the “Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis” approved in 1998 by Saint John Paul II and published two years later, according to The National Catholic Register.

Those guidelines were used for Pope John Paul II’s 2005 funeral but were adjusted to accommodate the unique circumstances of

“`