Over 61,000 people visited the basilica in the first 26 hours alone, with demand prompting the Vatican to extend visiting hours deep into the night. The basilica reopened early Thursday morning after a brief overnight closure, and officials suggested that hours may be extended again to accommodate the growing crowd.
Visitors are being ushered past Pope Francis’s simple red-lined wooden coffin within seconds, with strict bans on smartphones in place to preserve the solemnity of the occasion—a change from Wednesday, when many mourners paused to take photos and videos.
“It was a brief but intense moment next to his body,” said Massimo Palo, a 63-year-old Italian mourner. “He was a pope among his people. I hope the next papacies will carry that same spirit.”
Others echoed the deep emotional connection many felt toward Francis. “I’m going to miss him so much,” said Rome resident Alessandra Caccamo. “It’s like I’ve lost a piece of me.”
According to Dr. Sergio Alfieri, head of the Vatican's medical team, Francis died quickly and peacefully from an unexpected stroke. “When I arrived, his eyes were open. I tried to call his name, but there was no response. I knew then there was nothing more to do,” Alfieri told Corriere della Sera.
Pallbearers, flanked by Swiss Guards, carry the coffin of the late Pope Francis as it is transported from the chapel of Santa Marta to St Peter’s Basilica [Alberto Pizzoli/AFP]
Global Attention Turns to Saturday’s Funeral
Preparations are underway for Saturday’s funeral, with the pope’s coffin set to be sealed Friday evening in a ceremony led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican’s camerlengo and interim administrator. Over 170 international delegations—including U.S. President Donald Trump, Argentina’s President Javier Milei, and Britain’s Prince William—are expected to attend the funeral in St. Peter’s Square, which will be broadcast to millions around the world.
Italy’s Civil Protection Department anticipates that several hundred thousand people will flood into Rome, already busy due to a public holiday weekend.
Following the funeral, Pope Francis’s remains will be taken to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore—his favourite church in Rome—where a group of “poor and needy” will welcome his coffin in a gesture reflecting his lifelong advocacy for the marginalized. He will be buried there in a simple tomb marked with a single word: Franciscus. The Vatican announced that the tomb will be open to public visits starting Sunday.
The Church Looks Ahead
With the death of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church now turns its focus to the future. “A chapter in the Church’s history has been closed,” said Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, one of 135 cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave to elect Francis’s successor.
While the conclave is not expected to begin before May 6, daily meetings among the cardinals already in Rome are underway to manage administrative duties and prepare for the papal election. Thursday’s session involved 113 cardinals and lasted about three hours. No meetings will be held on the day of the funeral.
Cardinals participating in the selection of the next pope are required to take an oath of secrecy regarding all discussions related to the conclave.
As Vatican City continues to mourn its beloved leader, the Catholic world awaits the election of its 267th pope, hopeful that the next pontiff will continue the legacy of humility, compassion, and inclusiveness that defined Pope Francis’s tenure.