The body of Pope Francis arrived at St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday to lie in state, allowing Catholic faithful to pay their final respects ahead of a historic funeral set for the weekend.
The funeral is expected to draw over 200,000 attendees, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and numerous world leaders.
The 88-year-old pontiff, who passed away on Monday following a stroke and cardiac arrest, was known as a groundbreaking reformer and a fierce advocate for the poor and marginalized during his 12-year papacy. His often turbulent reign saw frequent clashes with traditionalists, yet his influence on modernizing the Catholic Church was profound.
In a solemn ceremony early Wednesday, red-robed cardinals led a procession from the Casa Santa Marta, the pope’s Vatican residence, to the basilica. His open wooden coffin was carried through the central entrance of St. Peter’s as Latin hymns echoed through the air.
Thousands of mourners had already gathered outside the Vatican before the procession began. The pope’s body will remain on public view inside the basilica until 7 p.m. Friday (10 p.m. PKT), with long queues expected as people come to pay tribute.
The funeral mass will take place on Saturday morning in St. Peter’s Square, led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals.
Among those expected to attend are leaders from Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the European Union, and Argentina, Pope Francis’s homeland.
The presence of Donald Trump, who had public disagreements with the late pope over issues like immigration, adds a notable dimension to the event, marking it as not only a religious milestone but a major moment in international diplomacy.
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