His open casket was placed at the Confession Altar, where the faithful were given a few moments to see Francis one last time.

On Wednesday, thousands of faithful gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica to bid their final farewell to Pope Francis, after his casket was transferred there from the Chapel of Saint Martha in a solemn ceremony that marked the beginning of the farewell tributes to the pontiff.

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Pope Francis’ Coffin Arrives at St. Peter’s Basilica

The Pope’s open casket, carried in procession on the shoulders of the pontifical sediari and escorted by the Swiss Guard, arrived at St. Peter’s Basilica and was placed at the Altar of the Confession, where the faithful were given a few moments to see Francis one last time.

Many of them, who had been waiting for hours before the opening, witnessed the transfer of the pontiff’s body. He passed away at the age of 88 from a stroke after months of respiratory issues.

An emotional transfer of the casket

The ceremony began at 9:00 a.m., when Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrell sprinkled holy water over the casket containing the Pope’s remains. “With great sorrow, we accompany the remains of our beloved Pope Francis from this chapel to the Vatican Basilica, where he served his ministry as Bishop of the Church of Rome and Apostle of the universal Church,” he read aloud.

The procession then made its way through Saint Martha’s Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs, before passing under the Arch of the Bells and entering St. Peter’s, where it was met with loud applause as it came through the central door of the Vatican Basilica.

Meanwhile, hundreds of media outlets from around the world captured the moment from the Braccio di Carlo Magno, the terrace above the colonnade of St. Peter’s. Once inside, the casket was placed in front of the tomb of St. Peter and beneath Bernini’s grand baldachin.

A human tide

After the basilica opened to the public at 11:00 a.m., a human tide slowly advanced down the central nave of the temple. Pilgrims from all over the world waited patiently for their turn, shielded with umbrellas, sunglasses, and water bottles.

Inside, the large crowd allowed the faithful only a few seconds before the casket—just enough to make the sign of the cross or kneel—prompting many to find nearby spaces, such as the area to the left of the altar, to pray or bow in respect.

“After all the people there are to see him and how narrow the central aisle of the basilica is… running into him head-on is overwhelming. We saw him on TV this morning, but seeing him in person is deeply moving,” said a visibly emotional female visitor.

The large number of faithful has led the Vatican to consider extending the visiting hours. Until now, it had been established that the basilica would remain open this Wednesday until midnight and reopen Thursday at 7:00 a.m., staying open until Friday at 7:00 p.m.

4,000 police officers to monitor the funeral

Italy has ordered the deployment of 4,000 police officers and an expansion of the exclusion zone as part of a maximum-security operation for Pope Francis’s funeral in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, when over 200,000 faithful and numerous heads of state and government are expected to attend.

Hundreds of officers and members of civil protection are already stationed around the Vatican to manage traffic and guide the large flow of people heading to St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their respects to Francis.

The security operation will intensify as delegations from approximately 170 countries arrive. Among the dignitaries attending the funeral are U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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