Thousands of faithful gathered since from early hours of Sunday at Rome’s Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major to pray and pay their respects to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday.
The flow of faithful has continued uninterrupted since 7 am when the basilica opened its doors, but many had been queuing outside the church gates since the crack of dawn.
Several Eucharistic celebrations were held in the side chapels of the basilica after its opening time, with a Mass taking place at 10 am at the central altar.
Due to the long queue, the faithful were asked to pause in front of the late pontiff’s tomb in prayer for no more than a few seconds each.
Pope Francis’ tomb is simple, lit by a warm light and adorned only with a reproduction of the late pontiff’s pectoral cross. Only “Franciscus”, the late pontiff’s Latin name, is engraved on the pale marble, with a single white rose laid near it.
Visits are allowed throughout the 9-day official mourning period, after which the conclave to elect the next head of the Catholic Church will be held.
No date has yet been set, but the college of cardinals must begin by 10 May, according to the dictates of canon law.
Huge crowds descend on the Vatican
The faithful also continued to flock to St Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Sunday. According to the Vatican press office, approximately 200,000 people were present from St Peter’s Square to Via della Conciliazione and from Piazza Pia to Piazza Risorgimento.
A solemn Mass was presided over by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, former secretary of state and one of the favourites in the next conclave.
Access to the square was blocked at around 10:30 am due to maximum capacity being reached. The faithful who were unable to access the parvis settled in Piazza Risorgimento and Piazza Pia, following Mass from large screens that had been set up.
In addition to the people who came to Rome to pray for Pope Francis, thousands of young pilgrims from all over the world were present in the Vatican for the Jubilee of Teenagers.
The three-day programme dedicated to the youth underwent some changes, and the canonisation of Carlo Acutis, considered the first “millenial saint”, was postponed.
During Mass, Cardinal Parolin reminded the audience of young people that the Pope would have loved to meet them.
”Easter joy, which sustains us in the hour of trial and sadness, is something that can almost be touched in this square today,” he said during his homily.
“You can see it etched above all in your faces, dear children and adolescents who have come from all over the world to celebrate the Jubilee,” Parolin added.
ADVEReadNOWISEMENT“You come from so many places. From all the dioceses of Italy, from Europe, from the United States to Latin America, from Africa to Asia, to the Arab Emirates. With you here, the whole world is truly present.”
”To you I address a special greeting, and to the bishops and priests who have accompanied you, with the desire to make you feel the embrace of the Church and the affection of Pope Francis, who would have liked to meet you, look you in the eyes, pass among you to greet you,” Parolin said.