Pope Francis was buried in his beloved church in Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore, after a funeral mass in St Peter's Square, the Vatican said.

The Argentine pontiff, who died on Monday at the age of 88, was laid to rest in a coffin during a 30-minute funeral ceremony that began at 2 p.m. Bulgarian time at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in the Italian capital. 

Pope Francis' coffin was greeted by a "group of poor and needy people" on his arrival at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he was buried behind closed doors. 

He arrived after a procession through Rome, where large crowds lined the streets and cheered as the coffin passed by. The Vatican said some 150,000 Romans had taken to the streets of the eternal city to send the Holy Father off. | BGNES