Why Were Some Popes Buried In 3 Coffins?

The death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025 marked the end of the centuries-old tradition of popes being buried in three caskets. Known as a pope who worked toward elements of church reform in an effort to recognize and help marginalized populations, Francis' legacy includes his efforts to tone down the pomp and grandeur of the Catholic Church and focus on inclusion for all. In that vein, about a year prior to his death, he made several changes aiming to simplify some of the papal funerary rites of popes.

Specifically, Francis requested that the "Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis," or the book that ordained papal funeral rights, be updated, and on November 29, 2024, the new edition was published. It included several changes that removed some of the long-standing orders, such as the tradition of being buried in three nesting caskets. But why were three coffins deemed necessary in the first place? For both practical and symbolic reasons.

Three caskets may sound like overkill, but one of the reasons for the practice was not unlike why we bury our loved ones in air-tight caskets: We want to preserve their bodies for as long as possible. In the case of the traditional three containers, the first was made of cypress, the second made of lead, and the final made of oak. They also symbolized who the pope was during his life.

The cypress coffin is the one that the pope's body goes into, along with three bags of copper, silver, and gold coins that symbolize the pope's years of service. The wood coffin is meant as a reminder that the Pope is a regular person, a humble servant of the Lord, and is being buried as such. Three silk ribbons are wrapped around the cypress casket after it's sealed shut. 

While the cypress coffin is symbolic of the pope's origins as a regular Joe, the lead casing makes it clear that this is no standard-issue human that is being buried, as they're typically used for popes and royalty. In the pope's case, this second casket is engraved with various symbols, clergical documents, and dates. The lead coffin is also very strong, and after it's soldered closed, it's supposed to work to slow the decomposition of the body inside since it's so air-tight. Documents that were relevant to the deceased pope were also put in the lead coffin. 

From there, the lead casket containing the cypress casket will be placed into a large casket made of elm and hammered closed with gold nails, per the Nigeria Catholic Network. Since elm is considered a "precious wood" in Rome, its use as the final coffin is symbolic of the "dignity" of the pope inside. A list of the interred pope's achievements is read aloud, then put inside a copper tube and laid in the elm casket. Finally, the entire thing is wrapped in violet silk and sealed in wax before being placed into a crypt. 

The three-casket tradition will not continue with Pope Francis' death, which means Pope Benedict, who died in 2022 several years after stepping down from the position, was the last pope to be buried in nesting coffins. Whether a new pope decides to bring back the tradition is anyone's guess. However, Francis' decision to do away with the three-casket burial rite is fitting with his history as a papal reformer who sought to be a man of the people. That said, the Nigerian Catholic Network pointed out that the careful burial rites of popes across the centuries have meant access to important documents that were preserved in their tombs.

As reported by Vatican News, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Apostolic Ceremonies, said Pope Francis "stated on several occasions of the need to simplify and adapt certain rites so that the celebration of the funeral of the Bishop of Rome may better express the faith of the Church in the Risen Christ." He added that "the renewed rite also needed to emphasize even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world." Pope Francis and all subsequent popes will be laid to rest in a zinc-lined wooden casket and taken to St. Peter's Basilica where mourners can pay their respects.