Since the opening of Pope Francis’s funeral chapel, more than 90,000 people have come to St. Peter’s Basilica as of Thursday at 7:00 p.m. local time (17:00 GMT) to pay homage to the pontiff who died on Monday, April 21, at the age of 88.
The Holy See confirmed the figure in its latest official statement, highlighting the steady flow of the faithful over the past 36 hours.
Pope Francis’ funeral chapel
Access to the mortuary chapel has been open to the public since Wednesday morning, with a steady influx of both ordinary citizens and religious leaders, international authorities and representatives of various denominations.
Although it had been announced that the wake would close at midnight on Wednesday, the enormous demand forced the Vatican to keep the doors open throughout the night, thus allowing all pilgrims the opportunity to say goodbye to the Argentine pontiff.
A tribute that never ceases
The Italian Civil Protection estimates that the number of attendees will continue to grow in the coming hours, with the expectation that more than 100,000 people will have passed by the coffin before access to the funeral chapel officially closes this Friday at 19:00 local time.
This will be followed by the solemn closing of the casket and final preparations for the funeral on Saturday, April 26.
The mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, told the local media on Thursday that “the influx to the coffin is being very regular and orderly” thanks to an extensive security and logistical device coordinated by the city authorities.
“We will soon exceed 100,000 people, and everything is working efficiently so that everyone will have their moment of farewell before a pope as beloved as Francis,” the mayor noted after a meeting with the prefecture of Rome and Vatican representatives.
Funeral and burial: what’s next
The funeral ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, in St. Peter’s Square and is expected to be attended by some 200,000 faithful from all over the world.
The Mass will be presided over by Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battista Re, and is expected to be attended by dozens of official delegations, including heads of state, religious representatives, and leaders from different cultures.
Once the funeral is over, the coffin will be moved in procession to the Marian temple of Santa Maria Maggiore, as stipulated by Francis himself in his will.
There, in a side chapel between the Pauline Chapel and the Sforza Chapel, his burial will take place in a simple tomb, just as he wished: without ornamentation, without catafalques and with a single inscription: Franciscus.
A legacy that touches the world
The massive reaction to the death of Pope Francis demonstrates the profound imprint he left on the Church and global society, especially among historically marginalized communities.
His focus on the poor, migrants and the environment made him a spiritual reference beyond Catholicism.
For many Hispanic faithful in the United States, Francis represented a close, empathetic and courageous voice, who did not hesitate to raise his voice in defense of migrants and human rights, issues of great relevance to the Latino community.
His crowded farewell is also a reflection of the affection he sowed throughout his pontificate.
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