Pope Francis to be buried today in the Basilica of Saint Mary

(Patria) - The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, will be buried today at 10 a.m. in the Basilica of Saint Mary, after dying on April 21 at the age of 88.

He will be buried in that basilica according to his own wish expressed in his spiritual testament. This decision represents a departure from the long tradition of papal burials in the Vatican.

He is the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in more than a century and the first to be buried in the Basilica of Saint Mary in the last 300 years.

As the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, he was the first from the American continent and the first born outside Europe to lead the Holy See in more than a millennium.

He was ordained a priest in 1969 and became the superior of the Jesuits of a province in Argentina from 1973 to 1979.

In 1988, he was appointed Bishop of Buenos Aires. Three years later, Pope John Paul II elevated him to the College of Cardinals.

Elected pope in 2013, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, he chose the name Francis, in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, reflecting his commitment to humility and the poor.

His tenure at the head of the Vatican is remembered for his focus on mercy, social justice, and care for the environment.