The Vatican has kept St Peter’s Basilica open nearly all night as thousands of the faithful flocked to pay their final respects to the late Pope Francis.
The Pope’s coffin has been brought to St Peter’s Basilica, where it will lie in state for public viewings until his funeral on Saturday.
After the Vatican suggested that visitor hours could be extended beyond midnight, it emerged on Thursday that St Peter’s had been kept open all night, closing only briefly between 6am and 7am, after more than 20,000 people paid their respects during the first eight hours of public viewing.
World leaders, cardinals and crowds of pilgrims are expected to attend the funeral itself, which will be held at 10am on Saturday in St Peter’s Square.
The Prince of Wales will join the likes of Donald Trump, Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky to pay their respects to the pontiff, who died aged 88 on Monday.
Francis is said to have shown the first signs of sudden illness two hours before passing, according to the Vatican news outlet, which reported he made a gesture of farewell with his hand to his nurse before falling into a coma.
UK theologian tells of shock and sadness in Rome after Pope’s death
A UK theologian who had worked closely with the Pope has described an atmosphere of shock, sadness and gratitude in Rome on the day of the Pope’s death.
Professor Anna Rowlands, who previously spent two years seconded to the Vatican during his papacy, happened to be in the Italian capital for Easter.
The professor of Catholic social thought and practice at Durham University described pilgrims and tourists mingling in the city as the news filtered through on Monday and an atmosphere of “shock, of sadness, and of gratitude”.
Aine Fox reports:
What happens next?
A huge gathering of the Catholic faithful has come together to grieve the loss of Pope Francis and will continue to do so in the coming days, followed by the secretive and potentially lengthy process of cardinals choosing a new pontiff.
Here is a look at what to expect:
Mourners describe witnessing lying in state as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience
Among those filing past the late pontiff’s coffin – some blessing themselves with the sign of the cross or pausing briefly in prayer – were a mother and daughter who described it as a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.
Primary school teacher Marguerite O’Leary and her teenage daughter Ellen, from County Clare in Ireland, stood for more than five hours on Wednesday to be among the first members of the public to see the late Pope lying in state.
Ms O’Leary said she felt it was their “duty to represent the people of Ireland when we were lucky enough to be here” in the days following the Pope’s death, while her 14-year-old daughter described it as “amazing to be in there” and a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.
Patrick Gavigan, based in Kildare, said it was “momentous” to be inside the basilica to witness the Pope’s remains after queuing with his wife Alice for nearly four hours.
Additional reporting by PA
Vatican keeps St Peter’s Basilica open nearly all night in response to high turnout
So many mourners lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state that the Vatican kept the doors to St Peter’s Basilica open nearly all night due to higher-than-expected turnout – closing the basilica for just an hour Thursday morning for cleaning between 6am and 7am.
Over 20,000 people paid respects in first eight hours of public viewing, Vatican says
According to the latest numbers released by the Vatican, more than 20,000 people paid their respects during the first 8 hours of public viewing on Wednesday.
The basilica closed for just one hour on Thursday morning, from 6am until 7am, the planned opening time.
Israel deletes Pope Francis condolence tweet
The Israeli government deleted a social media post giving condolences over the death of Pope Francis just hours after posting it.
Local media also reported that Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide were also instructed to delete similar posts and not to sign Vatican embassy condolence books.
“Rest in Peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing,” the post read on the country’s verified X account on Monday, before it was deleted. It was posted alongside an image of the Pope visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
More here.
Taiwan president to miss Pope’s funeral
Taiwanese president Lai Ching Te will not attend the funeral of Pope Francis despite his government claiming that they were making requests to the Vatican.
The foreign ministry announced yesterday that Taiwan would be sending its former vice-president, Chen Chien Jen, as special envoy.
Mr Chen has deep ties with the Vatican and met Pope Francis six times, according to reports.
Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister Francois Wu earlier said the Vatican may have “some consideration” over international relations.
Just 12 governments, including the Vatican, recognise Taiwan as a country. China claims the island is a part of its territory.
Hong Kong allows outspoken cardinal to attend Pope’s funeral
Hong Kong’s outspoken Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen was allowed to leave the southern Chinese city to attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Vatican City.
Zen, a 93-year-old retired bishop, left Hong Kong on yesterday night after applying at a court to get back his passport, his secretary said.
Authorities confiscated his passport after his controversial arrest under a Beijing-imposed national security law in 2022.
Zen is among the critics in recent years who have said the Vatican’s agreement with Chinese authorities on the appointment of bishops betrays pro-Vatican Chinese Catholics.
He has also criticised secretary of state Pietro Parolin, the official charged with negotiations with Beijing, as a “man of little faith.”
More here.
Vatican may extend visiting hours
The Vatican may extend the time frame for pilgrims to pay respects to Pope Francis in St Peter’s Basilica until beyond midnight in Rome due to the large number of visitors, it said in a statement on Wednesday.
Francis, who died at age 88 on Monday, is lying in state for three days.
The Vatican had originally planned to close visits at midnight on Wednesday and Thursday and at 7pm on Friday, after which Francis’ casket would have been closed and sealed.
But those timings may now be changed after tens of thousands flocked to see Francis lying in state on Wednesday, queuing long into the night.
Francis’ funeral, which will be attended by dignitaries from around the world, has been set for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square.
When will the conclave begin?
The secret meeting of cardinals, known as the conclave, usually begins between 15 and 20 days after a pope’s death.
However, if the cardinals agree, it could begin earlier to elect Pope Francis’ successor.
Following the period of mourning, 5 May seems a likely date on which it might start, said Joe Ronan, who works with the Catholic Voices media charity.
Only cardinals who were aged 80 or under on the day of the Pope’s death have a vote.
While there must be a minimum of 120 cardinals – senior members of the Catholic Church – in the conclave, Mr Ronan said there are currently around 135 cardinals of voting age.
The conclave convenes in the Sistine Chapel, where there can be up to four votes each day.
There is no set time for the conclave to elect a new pope, and if it carries on for a long time, it is possible for the cardinals to take a break, and have a non-voting day.
A two-thirds majority is required for a new pope to be elected.
Each time there is a vote, the ballots are then burned with black smoke from a chimney of the Sistine Chapel, indicating no one has been elected. The white smoke confirms a new pontiff.
Mr Ronan said there is expected to be a double confirmation, to avoid confusion: “As well as the white smoke I think they will also ring the bells of St Peter’s as a double check.
“These days they go to great pains to make sure that the colour of the smoke is very clear, sometimes (in the past) you have had a sort of grey colour.”
Source: independent.co.uk
