No pope has been buried in Santa Maria Maggiore since the 17th century, when Pope Clement IX was laid to rest there. I’m a specialist in Catholic liturgical history. In earlier centuries ...

Benedict IX spent his final years in seclusion ... Benedict was removed and Gregory was forced to resign. After the death of Pope Clement II in 1047, Benedict returned to Rome, trying once ...

Pope Francis ... synod led by Holy Roman Emperor Henry III. Clement II, his successor, served briefly before his death in October 1047. Benedict IX seized this opportunity to reclaim the papacy ...