Thousands queue to see Pope Francis’ body ahead of funeral

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

Vatican City (CNN) — The body of Pope Francis is lying in state in St. Peter’s Basilica, where it will remain for three days until his funeral Saturday, expected to be attended by world leaders including US President Donald Trump.

His body was transferred to the basilica during a procession earlier Wednesday, and was followed by a service led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who holds the position of “camerlengo” (or chamberlain) tasked with making arrangements for the funeral and conclave in the weeks ahead.

Francis’ coffin was laid at the Altar of the Confessio, a sacred space in front of the main tomb of St. Peter, the first pope. Cardinals in the basilica approached to view the coffin in pairs, followed shortly after by the first members of the public who paid their respects.

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.

Thousands of mourners were waiting outside the basilica in St. Peter’s Square, in clear skies and spring sunshine, for their turn to view the body. Since early Wednesday morning, before the procession began, there was a constant stream of pilgrims arriving at the Vatican. They took seats in front of the cream-colored edifice of St. Peter’s Basilica, waiting to see Francis’ lying in state.

Ludovico and Romano, 21 and 28, live just outside Rome and arrived Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. local time (12 a.m. ET). It felt important to come and say goodbye, they said. Ludovico, who saw him in person 15 years ago, told CNN that “it’s going to be an emotional moment. 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 queue was snaking around the square and stretched as far as the Piazza del Risorgimento – located just outside the walls of Vatican City – and was split into three sections. People filed past each other as others were leaving after seeing the pope lying in state.

Brinna Bitenco, 40, a Brazilian national, was one of those leaving. She told CNN she was “emotional inside,” 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.”

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.

Wednesday’s procession began with Francis’ body being moved from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta residence, where he lived during his papacy. Francis died at Casa Santa Marta on Easter Monday at the age of 88 of a stroke and heart failure, according to the Vatican.

The coffin 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 St. Peter’s Basilica through the central door.

Bells tolled slowly as the coffin entered the basilica at 9.30 a.m. local time (3.30 a.m. ET) Wednesday, while mourners in the piazza outside broke into applause.

Before the procession Farrell held a brief service in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta with a short antiphon, or chant, of hope. “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.

“Let us ask him in his mercy and kindness to grant the late pope an eternal home in the kingdom of heaven and to comfort with celestial hope, the papal family, the church in Rome and the faithful throughout the world.”

Later Wednesday, at St. Peter’s Basilica, the camerlengo presided over the service, known at the Liturgy of the Word, that allowed attendees to pay their respects to the late pope.

During the service, Farrell dispensed Holy Water over Francis’ body. The service included a reading from John’s Gospel, in which Jesus says to God: “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

The congregation recited several religious verses, including Psalm 22, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

Attendees also recited the Catholic customary prayers of the dead during the liturgy.

The service finished with the Salve Regina, one of the four principal Marian antiphons, prayers to Jesus’ mother Mary.

After lying in state for three days, Francis’ funeral will begin 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.

The Vatican announced that Francis’ funeral will be held outside, in St. Peter’s Square. Previous papal funerals have also been held outside, with thousands of mourners filling the open space in front of the basilica.

A string of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, have confirmed they will travel to the Vatican for the service. 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.

Tens of thousands of others are expected to show up. 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. Schools will hold a minute of silence on the next day they are open after the funeral service, the statement added.

The pope passed away the morning after the holiest day in the Christian year, when the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Despite his poor health, Francis was seen a number of times in public at the Vatican during Holy Week, culminating in an Easter Sunday appearance where he delighted crowds at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

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