Reporting from The Vatican
Even before 8 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET), a long line of worshippers were waiting to enter St. Peter’s Square to pay their respects.
As Latin psalms rang out, they filed into the square, then bells rang just before Pope Francis’ coffin was a carried out.
Those who couldn’t get into the square looked over the surrounding barriers, hoping to catch a glimpse before the coffin was carried into St. Peter’s Basilica where Francis’ will lie in state for three days.
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Members of the clergy and other worshipers walked together as the coffin of the late Pope Francis arrived in St. Peter’s this morning.A large sculpture looks over the inside of St. Peter’s Basilica, where the late pontiff will lie in state for three days.
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A crowd of worshippers in St. Peter’s Square erupted in applause as Francis’ body was carried through the vast space and entered the basilica for the last time. His body was placed before the Altar of Confession, facing the congregation.
Pope Francis’ body is being carried through the Vatican in an open coffin accompanied by hymns, priests, Swiss Guards and those who served in his household. Prayers are playing on loudspeakers, starting with Psalm 22 and followed by Psalm 114.
Alberto Pizzoli / AFP – Getty Images
Under bright sunlight, cardinals dressed in red led the procession, along with dozens of worshippers, patriarchs, bishops and other priests.
The pontiff will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica until his funeral Saturday.
As the Vatican prepares for the election of a new pope, many around the world are doing their own preparations — by watching a movie about it.
After news of Pope Francis’ death broke, the film “Conclave” had a viewership boost across streaming platforms it was available to watch on, according to Luminate, an entertainment data analytics company.
Ralph Fiennes in “Conclave.”Focus Features
Edward Berger’s drama, which won the Oscar this year for best adapted screenplay, goes behind the scenes of the Vatican for the secretive process of electing a pope. The process is complicated further by power-hungry cardinals, played by Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow. (The film’s distributor is Focus Features, a unit of NBC News’ parent corporation, Comcast.)
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Vatican Swiss Guards march in the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican this morning before the body of Pope Francis will lie in state for three days.
As bells tolled solemnly, a procession of patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, canons and other priests exited the Casa Santa Marta, carrying Pope Francis’ body.
The procession will travel through the Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs to St. Peter’s Square under the Arch of the Bells before going into the Basilica through the central door.
The public will then be able to pay their respects starting at 11 a.m. (5 a.m. ET).
A second General Congregation is scheduled for this afternoon after Pope Francis’ body is carried to St. Peter’s Basilica.
These congregations are a daily gathering of the College of Cardinals, who presently govern the Vatican, to plan the funerals and the upcoming conclave. Yesterday, 60 cardinals gathered in the Synod Hall for the occasion.
NBC News’ Tom Llamas visited a local Rome shop named “Hedera,” which has made delicious deserts, including homemade gelato and award-winning cakes, for years. It also became one of Pope Francis’ favorite locations for a sweet treat.
Pope Francis’ body will be transferred to St. Peter’s Basicilia this morning ahead of his funeral on Saturday. His lying in state will be open to public and worshippers will be able to pay their respects to the first Latin American pope.
While estimates vary for how many people are expected to visit, over 2 million mourners lined up to view Pope John Paul II’s body in 2005, according to the Italian Civil Protection agency.
For Elijah Smith, who grew up Lutheran and Southern Baptist, Pope Francis’ teachings centering on social justice and recognition of the marginalized helped to influence his decision to convert to Catholicism a year ago.
“He led by example,” said Smith, 22, a college student from Rockwell, North Carolina, “and he was very accepting. Accepting of the LGBTQ community, accepting of immigrants and very understanding of different cultures.”
But with Francis’ death Monday at 88, the Catholic Church is at a crossroads: After 12 years of his leadership, does it continue on a progressive path to invigorate new followers with a message of inclusivity, or return to traditional roots at a time when some have yearned for church doctrine bound by conservative customs and liturgy?
For centuries, the church’s traditional Mass was said in Latin and required priests to face the altar with their backs to the congregation, until the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s sought to modernize rituals. Changes included Mass being conducted in local languages and laypeople becoming integral to the services’ readings.
But in 2007, Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, relaxed restrictions, allowing the celebration of Latin Mass to return.
