Crowds File Past Pope Francis’s Open Coffin
BBC News
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Pope Francis's body has been moved from his residence in the Vatican to lie in state at St Peter's Basilica
Mourners are now filing past the coffin, which will stay in front of the Papal Altar during the three days of public mourning
Newlyweds Luis and Macarena the BBC the Pope "will bless us from heaven" while a local resident hopes Francis's successor will "follow him along his path"
The Pope died on Monday morning – his funeral will take place on Saturday, attended by leaders from around the world
We're pausing our regular text updates – but you can still watch mourners pay their respects by clicking watch live at the top of the page
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Public enter basilica to pay final respects to Pope
Edited by Rorey Bosotti, with Laura Gozzi reporting from Vatican City
Pope Francis will now lie in state at St Peter's Basilica where the public will be able to pay their respects to him over the coming days.
This morning, we followed the procession of his coffin from Casa Santa Marta, where he died, to the Basilica. It was one of a number of rites that have been taking place since Francis's death on Monday.
Cardinals accompanied him on the journey as crowds from across the world gathered along the way – at points some could be heard clapping, others were seen in tears.
A queue has now formed of those wanting to visit his coffin before his funeral on Saturday. Among those waiting are newlyweds Luis and Macarena who told the BBC they travelled to Rome hoping to receive Pope Francis's blessing.
"I think we received the blessing from above," Luis said.
We'll soon be pausing our regular text updates but you can still watch mourners paying their final tributes to Pope Francis by clicking Watch Live at the top of the page.
You can also keep up to date with the latest in our story.
Laura Gozzi
Reporting from Vatican City
As we’ve been reporting, Rome and the Vatican have stepped up security measures to deal with the huge numbers of people expected this weekend – as well as dozens of heads of state and royals.
Earlier I asked this soldier about the hefty contraption he was holding.
He says it's a “precaution against drones”, though he then adds: “As you can’t imagine I can’t tell you how it works.”
It looks like a handheld drone hammer – a device which is able to disrupt drone radio frequencies and, in some cases, force drones to return to their home point.
When I asked the soldier whether the device could do all that he neither agreed nor disagreed, but said mysteriously: “Maybe, among other things.”
At least 250,000 people are expected to attend Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday.
Tens of thousands have already descended on Vatican City over the last two days to pay their respects to the late pontiff.
At least 100 delegates from around the world are also set to attend the ceremony and security is expected to tight.
Sarah Rainsford
Reporting from Vatican City
Rome is always a place of pilgrimage for Catholics.
This year is a Holy year, a Jubilee, which comes around every couple of decades, so there were already security measures in place to deal with large number of Catholics heading for the Vatican.
Since the Pope's death there's been an increase in security and other measures put in place. This morning, police barricades are up and officers are conducting checks on those entering St Peter’s Square.
But this is a city, and a church which is well used to dealing with such big ceremonial moments.
It's not just about these three days of the Pope lying in state, we are also building towards the funeral that begins on Saturday morning.
That’s when not only Catholics and members of the public, but world leaders and royalty from many countries around the world will arrive.
Among the large crowds hoping to enter St Peter's Basilica today are newlyweds Luis and Macarena from Mexico.
The couple says they had decided to come to Rome for their honeymoon and had hoped to see the Pope, who gives a special blessing to newlyweds. They learned about the Pope's death while in transit.
"It was emotional. We thought, I can't believe we're going to be in Rome when it's happening," Macarena says.
Luis says the blessing from the Pope would have meant a lot to him and his wife, but adds: "It's a very important couple of days just to be here and pray, and to feel everyone praying is more important. I think we received the blessing from above."
He says seeing his final resting place would allow them to feel a connection with the late Pope.
"Pope Francis is a saint and he will bless us from heaven," he says.
Members of the public have been able to enter St Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis for a little over an hour and a half now.
As we've been reporting, people from across the globe have travelled to the Vatican City to do so.
Here are some of the latest images from the queue that has formed which branches outside of the Vatican City itself and into Rome:
The Vatican has shared some details of the ceremony on Friday during which Pope Francis' coffin will be closed.
As a reminder, the public will be able to visit Pope Francis as he lies in state until 19:00 local time Friday.
At 20:00 the rite of the closing of the coffin will take place at St Peter's Basilica led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the "camerlengo" – the man who'll be running the Vatican until a new Pope is elected.
The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, will also attend. He'll be leading the funeral service on Saturday and then convene the conclave to select Francis's successor.
This is one of a number of rites which take place during this period.
Earlier this week, we saw Cardinal Farrell locking and sealing the Pope's home with a ribbon and wax.
A ceremony is also held to destroy the Pope's Ring of the Fisherman with a hammer – the ring is used by the Pope to sign and seal official documents.
For more on Cardinal Kevin Farrell, our story has further details.
As we've been reporting, the general public is now able to visit St Peter's Basilica to file past Pope Francis's coffin and pay their respects.
Tomorrow, members of the public will be able to see his body lying in state from 07:00 until midnight and from 07:00 to 19:00 on Friday.
His funeral will be on Saturday at 10:00 in the square in front of St Peter's Basilica.
Patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and priests from across the globe will take part. The dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, will lead the service.
As many as 20,000 pilgrims gathered at St Peter's Square today to witness the procession of Pope Francis's body, according to reports by Vatican media.
Many of those who witnessed the service in the square will likely also join the queue to see the Pope lying in state.
The transfer of the Pope's coffin to St Peter's Basilica began at 09:00 local time (08:00 BST) on Wednesday, following a prayer ceremony in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta, where the Pope lived.
The procession was led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo. He is the person who runs the Vatican after the death or resignation of a pope.
Among those at St Peter's Square planning to go inside the Basilica over the next couple of days to see the Pope lying in state is Margaux, who is from France and runs a restaurant near the square.
She was moved by today's procession and service.
Margaux tells the BBC it's all been a bit of a shock, but as a Catholic she is glad to be able to attend the events and plans to attend the funeral on Saturday.
"I saw him a couple of times here, with a beautiful smile, message of love also. I really like him," she adds.
Pope Francis's progressive views were "very important" to Margaux.
"I hope the next pope will follow him along his path," she adds, saying that she does worry about what will happen in the next week. "I hope it's going to be just like him, following his ideas," Margaux says.
Living in Vatican City is "mystical" and "beautiful", Margaux adds, as she walks among priests, nuns and tourists surrounded by the religious hub's impressive architecture.
Here's a shot of the Pope's coffin, situated inside the grand St Peter's Basilica, in front of the Papal Altar – which is built over the tomb of the saint.
It will remain there until the funeral on Saturday.
Mourners have begun filing in to St Peter's Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis.
As a reminder, the Basilica will stay open until 24:00 local time (23:00 BST) today.
While the focus is on Vatican City, members of the public from all over the world are continuing to mourn Pope Francis.
In the pictures below, we can see emotions running high at St Peter's Square during this morning's procession, as well as people paying their respects to the late pontiff in Jerusalem and Jakarta.
A woman reacts to this morning's procession ceremony that saw the Pope carried into St Peter's Basilica
People light candles as they attend a special mass prayer at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem
People queue to be allowed into the Vatican Embassy to offer their condolences for the Pope in Jakarta, Indonesia
As we've been reporting, the Pope's body will now lie in state inside St Peter's Basilica until his funeral on Saturday.
In the next few minutes, the Basilica will reopen and the public will be able to file past the open coffin to pay their final respects.
The Basilica will be open at the following times:
Pope Francis's coffin has made its way to St Peter's Basilica, where a small service has just concluded.
Hundreds gathered in St Peter's Square to greet the coffin during the procession.
In the clip below, you can see the moment the coffin arrives at the location where Francis will now lie in state until the funeral on Saturday:
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Pope's coffin arrives at St Peter's BasilicaLaura Gozzi
Reporting from Vatican City
Charmaine and Luigi are visiting Rome from South Africa. They got in on Monday, the day the Pope died, and found out the news from live TV whilst on the plane.
The pair just witnessed the procession a few metres away from where I was standing.
“It was beautiful – and amazing to be able to witness it,” Charmaine says, as her husband nods. “It was very moving.”
Will they go see the Pope’s body once the lying in state begins?
“No. Let him rest in peace,” Luigi says. “It’s for the people of Italy to go see him,” Charmaine adds.
They both say the wealth of languages spoken in the square today was something to behold. “It’s the whole world united here today, it’s unusual and beautiful,” Charmaine says.
Members of the Swiss Guard are standing next to the coffin of the late Pope, as hymns are being sung by a choir at St Peter's Basilica.
Cardinals and other members of the clergy attending the service are now paying their tributes to the late pontiff before the Basilica is opened to the public.
Cardinals and other members of the clergy are now paying their tributes
From today until his funeral on 26 April, the Pope will lie in state inside the iconic St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican for a period of public mourning.
Take a look at our graphic below to get a sense of the space in which mourners will be invited to pay their respects:
The Pope's coffin is now inside St Peter's Basilica and there it will remain lying in state until the funeral on 26 April.
The procession lasted a little under 40 minutes, and saw the body being moved from Casa Santa Marta, where Francis died on Monday, through St Peter's Square and the crowds of worshippers waiting to pay their final respects.Laura Gozzi
Reporting from Vatican City
In the last half hour the square has filled up a lot – hundreds of people have come in and are watching the images from inside the Basilica on the giant screen outside.
Many will undoubtedly now flock inside St Peter’s Square to see the Pope’s body from much closer.
Our previous post had details on when the Basilica will be open for the public to pay respects.
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