Pope’s death spawns huge turnout

Vatican City: So many mourners lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St Peter’s Basilica that the Vatican kept the doors open all night due to higher-than-expected turnout, closing the basilica for just an hour Thursday morning for cleaning.

The basilica is bathed in a hushed silence as mourners from across the globe make a slow, shuffling procession up the main aisle to pay their last respects to Francis, who died Monday after a stroke.

The hours spent on line up the stately via della Conciliazione through St Peter’s Square and through the Holy Door into the basilica has allowed mourners to find community around the Argentine pontiff’s legacy of inclusion and humble persona.

Emiliano Fernandez, a Catholic from Mexico, was waiting in line around midnight, and after two hours still had not reached the basilica.

“I don’t even care how much time I wait here. It’s just the opportunity to (show) how I admired Francisco in his life,” said Fernandez, whose admiration for the pope grew during his 2016 visit to Mexico. “I think because of the respect that I have for him and the great person he was, it’s worth the wait.”

The last numbers released by the Vatican said more than 20,000 people had paid their respects during the first 8 ½ hours of the public viewing on Wednesday. The basilica closed for just one hour Thursday morning, from 6 am until 7 am, the planned opening time.

After three days of public viewing, a funeral Mass including heads of state will be held Saturday in St Peter’s Square.