Vatican City – The open casket of Pope Francis was solemnly transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, beginning three days of lying in state as throngs of mourners gathered to honour the late leader of the Catholic Church.
The 88-year-old Argentine pontiff, who passed away on Monday following a stroke, was moved from the Santa Marta residence—where he had resided throughout his 12-year papacy—to the basilica, accompanied by red-robed cardinals and the Vatican’s Swiss Guards. The procession, met with applause and reverence from the crowd in St. Peter’s Square, was marked by the ringing of bells and an air of solemn reflection.
Francis’s simple wooden coffin was placed before the Altar of the Confession, under the towering bronze baldacchino by Bernini, beneath Michelangelo’s dome. It rests on a modest platform, reflecting the Pope’s humility in contrast to the elevated displays used for his predecessors.
The faithful gathered early to bid farewell. Anna Montoya, 33, who traveled from Mexico, described the late pope as “like family.”
“I had to be here… it feels like I knew him. He was a good man. He showed us what the Church should be—what Jesus intended,” she said.
The funeral, set for Saturday, is expected to draw world leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Britain’s Prince William, along with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. Afterward, Francis’s remains will be transferred to Santa Maria Maggiore, his favored Roman basilica, where he will be interred beneath a stone simply inscribed: Franciscus.
With Italy declaring five days of national mourning, security has been ramped up around the Vatican. Authorities anticipate 150 to 170 foreign delegations and large crowds, especially as the funeral coincides with a public holiday weekend. Barriers have been erected, security screenings increased, and bottled water distributed to cope with the warm weather.
Local teacher Pasquale Apolito, 43, who visited the Vatican before leaving town, said:
“I don’t know if I’ll see the body, but I felt something telling me to come. He was a guide—for how he listened and welcomed people. He’ll be sorely missed.”
Following the funeral, attention will turn to the selection of a new pope. Cardinals worldwide have received instructions from the Holy See to return to Rome for the conclave, which must begin between 15 and 20 days after Francis’s passing. Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote.
About 60 cardinals already in Rome met in a general congregation on Tuesday to confirm funeral plans. A follow-up session, led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo charged with overseeing the Church’s affairs in the interim, took place Wednesday.
Francis’s passing came less than a month after a prolonged hospital stay due to pneumonia. Despite medical advice to rest for two months, he remained publicly active, often appearing visibly fatigued. On Easter Sunday, just one day before his death, he circled St. Peter’s Square in the popemobile, blessing crowds and kissing infants.
According to his death certificate, the Pope died at 7:35 a.m. from a stroke, coma, and heart failure.
Sister Maria Guadeloupe Hernandez Olivo, visiting from Mexico, reflected with sadness:
“I didn’t expect it. It’s hard, very sad. But I believe he’s now in a better place—free from suffering. Still, it feels like we’ve lost a shepherd.”
