On his way to Castel Gandolfo on November 3, Pope Leo made a special stop at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome to pray at the tomb of Pope Francis and before the revered Marian icon Salus Populi Romani.
In a heartfelt departure from tradition, Pope Francis requested to be laid to rest at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, rather than the Vatican Grottoes where many of his predecessors lie, on April 26.
