Pope Francis’ coffin was carried in a procession from his residency at the Vatican to St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, where crowds waited under the warm Roman sun to say a goodbye to the pontiff.
As Latin chants resounded, the long procession of red-hatted cardinals, bishops in violet capes and Swiss Guards in striped uniforms entered the basilica with the coffin holding the body of Francis, who died on Monday morning at 88.
Francis’ body, treated and dressed in papal vestments, his head covered with a white bishop’s miter, will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for several days to allow the faithful to bid farewell. The pope’s funeral will take place on Saturday, with international leaders among those expected to attend.
Long lines formed outside St Peter’s Basilica. Some people had traveled thousands of miles, a testament to the pope’s outreach to faraway places.
“With Pope Francis, we always feel loved,” said Marian Manalo, 63, from the Philippines. “The Philippines were very close to his heart,” added her friend, Delta Canela, 63.
Emma Bubola is a Times reporter based in Rome.
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