Pope Francis was buried inside his favourite Rome church after a funeral mass in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican said on Saturday.

Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was laid to rest during a 30-minute ceremony which started at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Italian capital.

Footage shared by the Holy See showed cardinals marking his wooden and zinc coffin with red wax seals.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo is running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, sprinkled it with holy water after it was lowered into a tomb set inside an alcove.

A reproduction of the pectoral cross worn by Francis during his lifetime hung above it.

Francis had asked that the tomb, located near the altar of Saint Francis, be simple and unadorned, reflecting the humble spirit of his papacy.

The tombstone bears only the inscription “Franciscus” — the pope’s name in Latin.

Its marble is sourced from Liguria, the northwestern Italian region once home to the Argentine pontiff’s Italian ancestors.

Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, had specified in his will the exact spot he wanted to be buried, in the side nave of the beloved fifth-century AD church.

The pontiff was devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary and made a point of praying in Santa Maria Maggiore before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return to Rome.

He declared his desire to be entombed there in 2023.

Located in the heart of Rome, the basilica already holds the tombs of seven popes.

But the last one to be buried there was Clement IX in 1669. More recently, popes have usually been buried in St Peter’s Basilica.

One of four papal basilicas in Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore also holds the remains of several other renowned figures, such as the architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who designed St Peter’s Square and its surrounding columns.

Built around 432 AD under Pope Sixtus III, the basilica holds some of the Catholic Church’s most important relics, including an icon of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus, attributed to Saint Luke.

(Channels/AFP)

Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, April 25, 2025, ordered the final forfeiture of a property to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The property is located at 26, Tolu Road, Olodi Apapa, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The judge gave the order, following a motion on notice filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos through its lawyer, H. U. Kofarnaisa.

Justice Dipeolu had earlier ordered the interim forfeiture of the property and also ordered the publication of the said order in a national newspaper for any interested person on party to show cause why the property should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.

Moving the application for the final forfeiture on Friday, Kofarnaisa told the court that “no one showed cause within the 14 days window granted after the publication.”

Kofarnaisa also stated that the application was supported with an affidavit deposed to by Gyal Maina Gapani, an operative of the EFCC.

She, therefore, told the court that the property “is reasonably suspected to have been acquired with the proceeds of unlawful activities.”

After listening to the EFCC’s counsel, Justice Dipeolu held that he found merit in the argument of the applicant and ordered the final forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government of Nigeria in favour of Sterling Bank Plc.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other members of Nigeria’s official delegation have arrived in Vatican City ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis, scheduled for Saturday.

Akpabio is leading the five-member high-level delegation constituted by President Bola Tinubu to represent Nigeria at the burial rites of the late head of the Roman Catholic Church.

While paying respects at the lying-in-state of Pope Francis inside St Peter’s Basilica, Akpabio shared a tribute with photos via his official Facebook page on Friday.

“As the Leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the burial ceremony of Pope Francis, I paid tribute to our departed Pope on behalf of President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian people,” the Senate president wrote.

Other members of the delegation include the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji; Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah; and Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Ignatius Kaigama.

Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the composition of the delegation in a statement on Friday. He said the team would deliver a formal letter conveying President Tinubu’s condolences to the Acting Head of the Vatican.

Tinubu had earlier joined world leaders and the global Catholic community in mourning the revered pontiff, describing him as “a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions”.

In his condolence message, Tinubu said the Pope’s passing, coming shortly after Easter, symbolised “a sacred return to his Maker at a time of renewed hope for Christians”.

Pope Francis died on Monday, 21 April 2025, at the age of 88. According to the Vatican, the pontiff passed away at 7:35 a.m. in his residence at Santa Marta following a cerebral stroke that led to coma and “irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.”

His death certificate, signed by Professor Andrea Arcangeli, Director of Health of the Vatican City State, also revealed previously undisclosed health issues, including arterial hypertension, multiple bronchiectasis, and Type 2 diabetes.

Pope Francis had been discharged weeks earlier from the hospital after battling double pneumonia.

The late Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pontiff and one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the 21st century. He is remembered for his advocacy for the poor, interfaith dialogue, and progressive stances on global issues.