Pope wants to simplify papal funeral rites, be buried outside Vatican

Pope Francis attends the Holy Mass on the day of the feast of the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe, at the Vatican, December 12, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis, who has shunned much of the Vatican's pomp and privilege, has decided to vastly simplify the elaborate funeral rites for a pontiff by being the first one to be buried outside the Vatican in more than a century.

The pope, who turns 87 on Sunday, disclosed plans for his funeral in an interview with Mexico's N+ television on Tuesday evening to mark the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.