Mourners began lining up to visit the tomb of the late Pope Francis at the St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome on Sunday.
The church, where the late pope is buried in a simple underground tomb, in keeping with his wishes, opened its doors to the faithful at 7 a.m. Vatican time (0500 GMT).
While many of his predecessors are buried at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Francis chose the basilica because he revered it, oftentimes visiting before and after trips abroad or hospital stays.
Francis became the first pontiff in over a century to be buried outside the grounds of the Vatican, when he was laid to rest in a private ceremony.
Pope laid to rest following big outdoor funeral Mass
The 88-year-old pontiff was at St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, where numerous world leaders gathered to pay their respects.
Cardinals, who have flown into Rome in keeping with papal tradition following the pope’s death, are to visit Francis’ tomb together at 4 p.m. Vatican time (1400 GMT).
On Monday morning, cardinals will hold their first reunion following the pope’s death and will meet every day following, with the expectation to find a date to hold a papal conclave to choose the next pope as well as discuss other matters.
Traditionally, the secretive meeting of the College of Cardinals to choose the next pope only takes place after a nine-day period of mourning.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
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