Thousands bid farewell to Pope; 9-day mourning from Saturday

Tens of thousands of mourners queued to say their last goodbyes to Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, as the body of the late Argentine pontiff began three days of lying in state.

By the afternoon, the wait to enter the church was more than four hours, as the long line of pilgrims and tourists wishing to pass by the pontiff’s open coffin circled the vast St Peter’s Square.

The Vatican said that because of the large turnout it was considering keeping the basilica open past its scheduled closing time at midnight.

Hours before, a colourful procession of cardinals, clergy and Swiss Guards escorted Francis’s coffin from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, where he lived during his 12-year papacy, to St Peter’s, as the basilica’s bells tolled.

Scores of world leaders and dignitaries plan to attend Saturday’s funeral, including US President Donald Trump, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, Argentine President Javier Milei and Spain’s royal couple.

Up to 170 foreign delegations are expected, the interior ministry said.

Dressed in his papal vestments - a red chasuble, white mitre and black shoes - and with a rosary laced between his fingers, the pope’s body has been laid out in a red-lined wooden coffin.

For three days, it will rest on a low bier before the Altar of the Confession underneath the soaring dome painted by Michelangelo, before being closed at 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Friday evening ahead of Saturday’s funeral.

After the funeral, Francis’s coffin will be taken to his favourite church, Rome’s papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where it will be interred in the ground and marked by a simple inscription: Franciscus.

Authorities have ramped up security for the funeral, with the weekend already due to be busy because of a public holiday Friday.

Meanwhile, the Vatican on Wednesday announced that nine days of mourning for Pope Francis will start on Saturday, the day of his funeral.

There will be prayer events every day at St Peter’s Basilica for the so-called “novemdiales”, which will last until May 4.

The announcement came as Catholic cardinals met to discuss the next steps following the death of the Argentine pontiff on Monday aged 88.

No date has yet been set for the conclave, the secret meeting of cardinals aged under 80 to elect a new pope.

But it has to take place between 15 and 20 days after the pontiff’s death.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday led the tributes during a special joint session of parliament in Rome, before going herself to see the pope lying in state.

Agencies