Thursday, April 24, 2025 - More than
20,000 mourners formed eight-hour queues at the Vatican as they waited to pay
their respects to the late Pope Francis today.
St. Peter's Basilica was opened to the public to say their final goodbyes
to Francis as he lay in state for the next three days.
Thousands of people flooded the central aisle of the basilica, with some
seen crying and others taking a moment for prayer as they passed the
pontiff's open coffin.
Worshippers recalled waiting five hours just to enter St. Peter's and said
they then had to queue for another hour once inside the basilica, NBC
News reports.
Tens of thousands of people are currently queuing in three lines, but
mourners say the queues are moving 'fairly quickly' as people usher out after
paying their respects.
One woman told the news outlet that her final goodbye was brief, sharing
how she just simply blew a kiss towards the pontiff's open casket.
But Vatican sources told Sky News that the queue is
currently taking eight hours to get through, meaning St. Peter's could
close at midnight before mourners in the back may get a chance to pay their
respects.
The timeframe for pilgrims to visit the pope's body may be extended until
beyond midnight today due to the large number of visitors, the Vatican said in
a statement.
The basilica will reopen at 7am tomorrow and remain open until at least
midnight to allow as many people as possible to file past. The final day
of lying in state will end at 7pm so that St. Peter's can be prepared for
Francis' funeral mass on Saturday.
Over the coming days, tens of thousands of people are expected to pass
through the basilica to see Francis lie in state and at least 200,000 people
are expected to attend the outdoor funeral service on Saturday.
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