- St Peter’s Basilica was kept open almost all night on Wednesday, April 23, to accommodate huge crowds of mourners
- The church closed for just one hour between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.
- Visitors can pay their respects to the late pontiff, who is lying in state in an open coffin at the church ahead of his funeral on Saturday, April 26
The Vatican kept St Peter’s Basilica open all night so that the thousands of mourners who have flocked to the city are able to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis.
According to multiple news outlets, including BBC, The Independent, and ABC News, the church made the decision to extend opening hours on Wednesday, April 23, ahead of the pope’s funeral on Saturday, April 26.
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According to The Independent, the church closed only briefly between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Thursday, April 24. During the first eight hours of public viewing, more than 20,000 mourners visited the late pontiff’s open casket, the outlet confirmed.
When Pope Francis’ body was initially carried into St. Peter’s, over 20,000 people erupted into “subdued but sustained applause,” according to the Vatican.
A group of cardinals were the first to pay their respects, but then it was time for the public to start filing in, and according to CBS News, many in line waited four hours or more.
Student Sophia Cabello, who had already waited for two hours, told PEOPLE that even though the wait was long, as a Catholic, it was important for her to see Francis, especially since he’d been the pope for most of her life.
The pope’s funeral, which will take place at 10 a.m., is expected to be attended by world leaders, including President Donald J. Trump and first lady Melania Trump. “Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on April 21, adding, “We look forward to being there!”
Prince William, 42, will travel to Vatican City over the weekend to represent the British royal family at the service, attending on behalf of his father, King Charles.
The King issued a heartfelt statement upon hearing the news of the pope’s passing, in which he reflected on meeting him just 12 days before his death.
“My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis,” the monarch said of himself and Queen Camilla. “Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry.”
According to the Vatican, Pope Francis died on Monday, April 21, at 7:35 a.m. local time due to a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse. He was 88.
The pontiff was also affected by a “previous episode of acute respiratory failure in bilateral multimicrobial pneumonia, multiple bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension and type II diabetes,” the church confirmed.
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