Thousands pay their respects to the Pope as he lies in state at St Peter's Basilica

The body of Pope Francis will now lie in state at St Peter's Basilica ahead of his funeral this weekend.

Wednesday 23 April 2025 09:38, UK

The body of Pope Francis has been moved and will now lie in state in St Peter's Basilica ahead of his funeral this weekend.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to travel to the Vatican over the next three days to pay their respects to the pontiff, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.

On Wednesday morning, thousands attended the procession, which was accompanied by cardinals and Latin chants.

The basilica will remain open until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday to accommodate mourners.

Pope Francis: Follow the latest

Outside of the basilica, some members of the crowd were visibly emotional.

Inside, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo, completed the Liturgy of the Word after purifying the body of the late pontiff.

After the procession was complete, those gathered left the basilica - leaving the pontiff to lie in state with public viewings beginning.

After his funeral on Saturday morning (9am UK time) there will be a nine-day period of mourning, known as the "novendiali", after which the secretive meeting - called the conclave - will begin to elect a new pope.

The conclave to choose his successor must start between 5 and 10 May.

The first images of his body were released on Tuesday, showing him in red vestments and his bishop's mitre in a wooden casket.

The Vatican secretary of state was shown praying over him in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived and died.

Previous popes were entombed in three coffins: the first made of wood, another of lead and a third, again made of wood.

But in 2024, Francis changed the rules and said that only one coffin, a wooden one lined in zinc, should be used.

In a break from tradition, he will be buried in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, according to his wishes.

Following the Pope's death, from a stroke and heart failure, world leaders have praised his moral leadership and compassion and Cardinal Farrell has taken temporary charge.

On Tuesday, Sir Keir Starmer described him as "a quite remarkable man, and the work and commitment that he put into fairness over so many years, and globally, I think will be a real lasting legacy".

Francis leaves behind a more inclusive but also divided Catholic Church

by Barbara Serra, Paste BN presenter in Rome

An institution like the Catholic Church, which is more than 2,000 years old and has changed leadership 266 times, is well-versed in managing transition.

But while the steps that follow a pope's death may be strictly dictated by tradition, the mood is often very different, depending on the pope that is being replaced.

The word Catholic means universal, and it's a good reminder of the challenge facing any pope - leading a congregation 1.4 billion strong from all over the world, with differing ideas about if and how change should happen, is far from easy.

The global demographics of Catholicism are changing rapidly. Pope Francis was keenly aware of this.

We often talk about him as progressive, but a more accurate term to describe his papacy would be "inclusive".

Thousands pay their respects to the Pope as he lies in state at St Peter's Basilica

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