Pope Francis buried in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major

(Patria) - The body of the late Pope Francis was transferred to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) in Rome on Saturday, after the mass, where he was buried.

The wooden coffin of Pope Francis was carried into St. Peter's Basilica after the funeral mass, after which it was transported in a procession to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where he was buried according to his wishes.

Many believers bid farewell to Francis' coffin on the streets of Rome.

The procession with the Pope's coffin, about six kilometers long (from the Vatican to the basilica), passed by numerous Roman landmarks, including the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, and arrived at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major around 1 p.m.

On the tomb slab made of Ligurian marble, Francis' name is inscribed in Latin, Franciscus, and the Pope was buried in a tomb in the floor, in a small niche.

The entire farewell took place according to a simplified procedure, at the Pope's request.

According to Italian police data, around 140,000 people were present during the mass for the Pope in St. Peter's Square and surrounding streets, while the square itself was almost completely filled with 40,000 attendees. Vatican estimates speak of 200,000 people.

The mass for Pope Francis was led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and the funeral mass was attended by 55 presidents, 12 reigning monarchs, and 130 official delegations.

The last Pope buried in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major was Clement IX in 1669.