On Wednesday afternoon, approximately 100,000 individuals were queued up to enter St. Peter’s Basilica within the Vatican to bid farewell to the recently deceased Pope Francis, as stated by Italy’s ANSA news agency, referencing estimates provided by the Vatican’s security services.
The line forming outside what is regarded as the mother church at the heart of Catholic spirituality and history continued to lengthen with each passing hour.
On Wednesday morning, the pope’s remains were moved to the basilica located at the center of Rome. Starting from 11 am (0900 GMT), the public has had access to the basilica; however, there are significant queues. The pope’s body lies in state within a plain wooden coffin.
Initially, the basilica was scheduled to stay open until midnight. Nonetheless, due to the massive crowd sizes, the Vatican hasn’t dismissed the possibility of extending its hours beyond what was initially stated. There was an anticipation of even more visitors, especially during the later part of the day and into the night.
On Thursday, St Peter’s Basilica is anticipated to remain accessible from 7 am until midnight, and on Friday, it will be open from 7 am to 7 pm. Following this, the burial of the pope is scheduled for Saturday.
GNA
PDC
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