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Where the Popes Are Buried
National Catholic Register ^ | December 15, 2023 | Matthew McDonald

Posted on 01/25/2025 9:10:10 AM PST by plain talk

Pope Francis’ announcement this week [Dec 2023] that he wants to be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome leads to a question: Where are his predecessors?

If you guessed St. Peter’s Basilica … there’s a good chance you’re right.

Pope Francis cites his devotion to Mary the Mother of Jesus and his frequent visits (both as pope and before) to the basilica dedicated in her honor, which is a little less than 2 1/2 miles east of St. Peter’s.

If Pope Francis is buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, he won’t be alone. Six other popes are buried there. But he would be the first in more than 350 years.

(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...


TOPICS: Religion
KEYWORDS: popes
Old article but as a former Catholic I found it interesting. The Catholic Church's history is quite complex. I still like to read about the Popes. It is incredible to me that we know where most of the Popes' remains are buried.

Pope Francis wants to be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major instead of St. Peter’s Basilica. No surprise there since he is a different breed than his more recent predecessors.

No bashing of Catholics or Protestants intended here. Maybe this was posted before but I didn't see it upon a quick search.

1 posted on 01/25/2025 9:10:10 AM PST by plain talk
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To: plain talk

The history of the first popes is brutal. I forget how many were murdered before they were left alone.


2 posted on 01/25/2025 9:21:27 AM PST by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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To: plain talk

Fascinating history, interesting read. Thanks.


3 posted on 01/25/2025 9:22:38 AM PST by NautiNurse (With a cough and a sputter, the original lying dog-faced pony soldier was led out to pasture. )
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To: plain talk

I thought that was where the white smoke from the Vatican comes in. When a pope dies, he lies in state and when a new pope is elected, the previous pope is cremated.


4 posted on 01/25/2025 9:28:54 AM PST by EQAndyBuzz (If you do not have a Biden Golden Ticket, you are so screwed!)
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To: plain talk

Yes, a lot of Popes are in the “first basement” of St. Peter’s. There are also lots of tiny chapels down there. The next level down is even better, it’s the remains of a pagan church and the spot where St. Peter’s remains are claimed to reside. You can see it all on the guided “Scavi Tour”. The people leading the tours are a fabulous font of information. You’ll see where pagan sacrifices were done, etc. Near the end you are standing on glass looking down at St. Peter’s resting spot. A lot of drainage was required to make it accessible and save it, the river is quite close by.


5 posted on 01/25/2025 10:07:10 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (Black guy upon receiving a MAGA hat: "MURICA!")
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To: plain talk

Pope Marx will probably want his rotting corpse next to Lenin’s.


6 posted on 01/25/2025 10:09:15 AM PST by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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To: SaxxonWoods

Thou shalt have no graven images before me.

Malarkey says the RCC.


7 posted on 01/25/2025 10:10:38 AM PST by Glad2bnuts
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To: EQAndyBuzz

That certainly wasn’t the case with Pope Benedict, he resigned and lived for about 9 more years. Living that long has raised questions about his claim that his health was why he resigned since most Pope’s serve until death.


8 posted on 01/25/2025 10:11:31 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (Black guy upon receiving a MAGA hat: "MURICA!")
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To: Glad2bnuts

“Thou shalt have no graven images before me.”

That’s why many early churches were built over the remains of pagan ones. It’s also why Crosses were erected on many pagan works above ground all over Rome.


9 posted on 01/25/2025 10:13:30 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (Black guy upon receiving a MAGA hat: "MURICA!")
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To: EQAndyBuzz

Oh, also, cremation of Catholics was forbidden until 1963 and has rules about how it is to be done as it was a pagan ritual.


10 posted on 01/25/2025 10:16:26 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (Black guy upon receiving a MAGA hat: "MURICA!")
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To: SaxxonWoods
That certainly wasn’t the case with Pope Benedict, he resigned and lived for about 9 more years. Living that long has raised questions about his claim that his health was why he resigned since most Pope’s serve until death.

Pope Benedict was gay (as are up to half of Catholic priests) and he saw that might be a problem with the looming clergy abuse scandals.

11 posted on 01/25/2025 10:42:25 AM PST by rexthecat
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To: rexthecat

Yes, it’s a gay church now.


12 posted on 01/25/2025 10:45:43 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (Black guy upon receiving a MAGA hat: "MURICA!")
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To: Nateman

Traditionally most of the early popes died as martyrs but perhaps the evidence isn’t certain in every case. Some of them were buried in the catacombs.


13 posted on 01/25/2025 10:46:40 AM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: Nateman

HE CANNOT ACCOMPLISH THIS SOON ENOUGH, IMO


14 posted on 01/25/2025 11:32:42 AM PST by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
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To: Glad2bnuts

So burying pope is a graven image?

I guess you just flush your family like a dead goldfish, huh?


15 posted on 01/25/2025 8:37:12 PM PST by Texas_Guy
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