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 Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrell, the cardinal tasked with making arrangements for Pope Francis’ funeral and the conclave in the weeks ahead.
Francis’ coffin was laid at the Altar of the Confessio, a sacred space in front of the main above the tomb of St. Peter, the first pope.
Cardinals in the basilica approached the coffin in pairs to pay their respects. From 11 a.m. local time (5 a.m. ET), members of the public will be able to visit Francis’ body.
Thousands of mourners are waiting outside the basilica in St. Peter’s Square, ahead of the official opening.
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, Camerlengo 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.
For those who wish to visit the pope and pay their respects, the basilica will be open on Wednesday until midnight, on Thursday from 7 a.m. to midnight local time, and Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time.
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.
Pope Francis’ life in pictures
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 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.
His death from a stroke and heart failure was affected other by other ailments, including a “previous episode of acute respiratory failure,” arterial hypertension and type II diabetes, according to a Vatican press office statement, signed by the Director of the Health and Hygiene Directorate of the Vatican City State Andrea Arcangeli.