Under a basilica’s splendour, thousands gather for a final glimpse of a pope who led a simple life

By Caitlin Danaher, Christopher Lamb, Lauren Kent, Antonia Mortensen, Barbie Latza Nadeau and Sebastian Shukla, CNN

Vatican City (CNN) — In the splendour of St. Peter’s Basilica, with the sunshine glinting across the bronze canopy that towers over the main altar, thousands of Catholic pilgrims streamed in to glimpse the body of Pope Francis on the first of three days lying in state.

Francis’ coffin had been laid at the Altar of the Confessio, a sacred space in front of the main tomb of St. Peter, whom Catholics believe to be the first pope, after being transferred in procession from the chapel at his Casa Santa Marta residence earlier Wednesday.

Bells tolled slowly as the coffin entered the basilica at 9.30 a.m. local time, while mourners in the piazza outside broke into applause.

Once the rite of the transfer was complete, cardinals approached to view the coffin in pairs, followed shortly after by members of the public who had congregated since early morning.

People had arrived at St. Peter’s Square, in clear skies and hot spring sunshine, to watch the procession and to join the line to see the pope’s body in the basilica. By the end of the day, at least 19,430 had passed through, according to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni.

Among them were Ludovico and Romano, 21 and 28, live just outside Rome and arrived Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. It felt important to come and say goodbye, they said. Ludovico, who saw him in person 15 years ago, said, “he was such a spiritual guide, and I wanted to come here to celebrate his life.”

Sitting alone, John, 64, a Rome resident who has seen the pope many times, said: “I am going to pray for him and pray for the world.”

By lunchtime, the line to enter St. Peter’s Basilica was snaking around the square and stretched as far as the Piazza del Risorgimento – just outside the walls of Vatican City.

Inside the basilica, sunshine poured through the windows but the mood was somber. Even with hundreds of people inside at one time, the basilica remained relatively quiet, except for some low chanting, music from the church musicians, and the occasional cry of a baby.

People who waited in line for hours to pass by the coffin have only a fraction of a moment to see the pontiff, with roughly 50 people passing each minute.

“It’s frustrating because you only have one second, so there is no time to pray,” said Victoria Risso from France, who waited for more than three hours with her husband and children. “But it was a powerful moment.”

Brinna Bitenco, 40, a Brazilian national, told CNN she was “emotional inside” after seeing the coffin, adding that it was a “really beautiful scene” in the basilica.

She admitted that seeing a photo of the pope since his death differs totally from seeing him in the flesh. “I really wish I could have seen him alive, he’s such a special person. Lying there it seems like an Angel is there, not a person. But he’s now in a better place, better than the rest of us.”

Elsewhere, people kneeled in chapels to pray in silence, and the confessional was open in four different languages. Nearly every offering candle in the church was lit – each electric candle would turn off only momentarily before another worshipper would donate to re-light it.

The basilica opened to the public at 11 a.m. local time (5 a.m. ET) Wednesday and will remain open until midnight. On Thursday and Friday, it will open at 7 a.m. and close at midnight.

Vatican City authorities have said that ahead of the closing hour, they will shut off the square and allow the remaining crowds to filter through the basilica past the pope. Those in the queue outside Vatican City, in Rome, will be allowed to stay in line overnight and not lose their place, meaning scores look set to camp outside.

As part of Francis’ push to simplify the papal funeral rites, his body is lying in state in an open wooden coffin, having done away with the tradition of having three coffins of cypress, lead and oak.

The procession to transfer Francis’ body to the basilica traveled through Piazza Santa Marta and the Piazza dei Protomartiri Romani, passing through the Arch of the Bells and into St. Peter’s Square, before entering through the basilica’s central door.

Before the procession a brief service was presided over by Cardinal Keivn Farrell Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who holds the position of camerlengo, tasked with making arrangements for the funeral and conclave in the weeks ahead. “Let us thank the Lord for countless gifts that he bestowed on the Christian people through His servant Pope Francis,” the camerlengo said in prayer.

After lying in state for three days, Francis’ funeral will be held outside in St. Peter’s Square, beginning at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET) Saturday – six days after his death. The last papal funeral – for Pope Benedict XVI in 2023 – was also held six days after his death. As many as 250,000 dignitaries and onlookers are expected to attend.

US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are among the major European leaders traveling to the Vatican.

About 50,000 people came to Benedict’s funeral in 2023, while around 300,000 attended John Paul’s in 2005.

The Italian government has declared five days of national mourning ending on Saturday, the day of the funeral. A minute of silence will be held across the country on Saturday as the service begins.

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CNN’s Lauren Moorhouse, Clara Schönthaler, Christian Edwards, Sophie Tanno and Kathleen Magramo contributed reporting.