More than 20,000 mourners were waiting in the Vatican for today’s late Pope Francis to pay tribute, so they formed an eight-hour queue in the Vatican.
St. Peter’s Basilica was open to the public and said his last goodbye to Francis while living in the state for the next three days.
Thousands of people flooded the central aisle of the cathedral, some cried, and some spent a little prayer as the pope’s open-air coffin passed by.
NBC News reported that worshippers recalled waiting for five hours to enter St. Peter’s Basilica and said they had to line up for another hour inside the cathedral.
Currently, thousands are lined up in three rows, but the mourners say the queue is “quite quickly” when seducing them with respect.
A woman told the news media that her last goodbye was brief, sharing how she simply blew a kiss to the pope’s open coffin.
But Vatican sources told Sky News that the queue currently takes eight hours to get through, meaning St. Peter can close at midnight before the mourners behind may have a chance to give respect.
The Vatican said in a statement that the pilgrim’s visit to the papal’s body may be extended until after midnight today, due to the large number of tourists.
The cathedral will reopen tomorrow at 7 a.m. and remain open until at least midnight to allow as many people as possible to submit past. The last day of the Lies will end at 7 p.m. so that St. Peter can be prepared for Francis’ funeral on Saturday.
In the next few days, thousands are expected to pass through the cathedral and see Francis lying in the state, with at least 200,000 expected to attend outdoor funerals on Saturday.
