Mourners visit Pope Francis lying in state at St Peter’s Basilica

Mourners are paying their respects to Pope Francis, whose body was moved from his Vatican residence to St Peter’s Basilica before his funeral on Saturday.
The Pope’s open coffin was carried on Wednesday morning in a solemn procession through St Peter’s Square where as many as 20,000 pilgrims had gathered, Vatican media said.
As the coffin crossed the square, bells tolled and crowds broke into applause – a traditional Italian sign of respect.
The Pope died on Monday aged 88 following a stroke and a battle with double pneumonia, which led to him spending five weeks in hospital earlier this year. The first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church, he had held the role for 12 years.
On Wednesday, red-robed cardinals and white-clad priests walked the Pope’s coffin from his personal residence at the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse to the St Peter’s Basilica. The procession lasted a little under 40 minutes.

Source: BBC | Language: English