Pope Francis announced in a recent interview that he plans to be buried outside the Vatican.
The pontiff who turns 87 on Sunday, also said he never thought about resigning this year despite a series of health scares.
He stated that he has a trip confirmed to Belgium next year and visits under consideration to Polynesia and his native Argentina.
While the pope says he is recovering from his bout with severe bronchitis, he notes that his capabilities are declining with old age.
According to him, he has no plans to retire like his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, reiterating his belief that the papacy is intended to be a position held until death — but says he waits for God to decide when his reign should end.
Pontiffs do not have a requirement for burial location — but since the death of St. Pope Pius X in 1914, all popes have been buried in the grotto under St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
For centuries, St. Peter’s Basilica has been the most common choice for the internment of deceased popes, but many pontiffs have chosen churches or catacombs with which they have a more personal connection.
The Basilica of St. Mary Major has been a spiritual home for Pope Francis since the beginning of his pontificate.
He has stopped at the Basilica before and after most major apostolic journeys, as well as after each stint in the hospital.
The basilica, which dates back sixteen centuries, features the Salus Populi Romani — an ancient icon of the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus believed to be from the 6th century.
Seven popes are currently buried in the basilica.
