The meaning behind the symbolic items at Pope Francis' funeral

Pope Francis was laid to rest Saturday in a historic funeral that drew more than 250,000 people, according to the Vatican.

In a rare break from tradition, Francis chose not to be buried inside St. Peter's Basilica like many of his predecessors. Instead, he selected the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome as his final resting place.

Several symbolic items were placed in his coffin during the ceremony, each representing important elements of his papacy and faith.

These included his miter and crozier, a pouch of commemorative coins, an official papal document known as the Rogito, a rosary and his fisherman's ring.

Miter and crozier: Francis's miter, the ceremonial headdress he often chose to keep simple, with a white base and single vertical stripe, and his crozier, the pastoral staff symbolizing his role as spiritual shepherd, were laid beside him.

Coins: A bag containing 12 coins, one minted for each year of his pontificate, was included in the coffin. The tradition serves as a record of the years he served as leader of the Catholic Church.

Rogito: This is a written summary of key moments from Francis's papacy. It was read aloud during the service before being rolled into a metal cylinder and placed with him.

Rosary: In keeping with tradition, Pope Francis was buried with a rosary. The rosary is a standard part of a pope's burial, representing their faith journey from life into death.

Broken fisherman's ring: Francis was also buried with his fisherman's ring, a gold signet ring given to him upon his election as pope 12 years ago. Before burial, the ring was ceremonially broken, a ritual signifying the formal end of his papal authority. The act marks the transition of leadership and the close of his chapter in Church history.