Nearly 50,000 people visited Pope Francis in one day

Nuns, priests and Catholic faithful pray next to the coffin of Pope Francis at St. Peter's Basilica - Photo: REUTERS

According to the previously scheduled schedule, St. Peter's Basilica will temporarily close to the public for visits to Pope Francis' coffin and close at 0:00 every day.

However, because the line of monks, Catholic believers and people waiting to visit the Pope was still too long, the basilica was forced to open until 5:30 a.m. on April 24.

According to the Italian news agency ANSA, about 48,600 people have visited Pope Francis since St. Peter's Basilica officially opened to the public, from 11:00 a.m. on April 23 to 8:30 a.m. on April 24.

Of these, about 13,000 people visited the Pope between 0:00 and 5:30 a.m. on April 24.

At 7:00 a.m. (local time) the same day, St. Peter's Basilica reopened to welcome the public to visit Pope Francis.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was one of the first national leaders to visit Pope Francis on April 23.

Pope Francis' body lay in state at St. Peter's Basilica from the morning of April 23 to the evening of April 25 so that the public could come to pay their respects, pray, and say goodbye to the leader of the Catholic Church.

People visit Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica on the morning of April 24 - Photo: AFP

Instead of lying on a high pedestal called the Catafalque like his predecessors, Pope Francis wants to be close to his parishioners until his last moment - Photo: AFP

A nun sits and rests while waiting for other nuns to line up to visit Pope Francis early in the morning of April 24 - Photo: REUTERS

Thousands of people from around the world flocked to St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis - Photo: REUTERS

People wait to visit Pope Francis in the rain on the morning of April 24 - Photo: REUTERS

Monks, Catholic believers and even non-Catholics lined up to visit Pope Francis from the evening of April 23 to the morning of April 24 - Photo: REUTERS

Nearly 50,000 people have come to the Vatican to pay their respects to Pope Francis in less than a day since his coffin lay in state at St. Peter's Basilica - Photo: AFP

On the evening of April 25, Cardinal Regent Kevin Farrell will preside over the ceremony of sealing Pope Francis' coffin.

According to Vatican tradition, before sealing the coffin, the presiding cardinal will cover the pope's face with a white silk cloth and offer a final prayer. The coffin will then be nailed shut and placed inside a prepared grave.

Pope Francis' funeral mass will take place at 10am (Rome time) on April 26 and his coffin will be moved to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

More than 170 delegations including heads of state and government are expected to attend the Pope's funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square. People around the world will be able to watch the funeral Mass on television.

At the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Pope Francis' tomb is expected to be located near the altar of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani with a simple stone tablet engraved with his name, date of birth and death, and his pontificate in Latin.

In addition, Pope Francis' tomb does not have elaborate statues or reliefs like some former Renaissance popes.

According to Pope Francis' last wishes, he wants to rest and await Easter in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, unlike many previous popes who were buried in the crypt below St. Peter's Basilica.

In his will, he also specified the location of his grave, which would be located in the side room of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, along with a diagram illustrating the location of the grave.

From April 26 to May 4, the Catholic Church began the Novendiales period, which is nine days of mourning for Pope Francis.

UYEN PHUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/gan-50-000-nguoi-den-vieng-giao-hoang-francis-trong-trong-mot-ngay-20250424163104397.htm