St. Peter's stays open overnight for public viewing of Pope Francis

(NewsNation) — More than 20,000 mourners paid their respects to Pope Francis connected Wednesday, the Vatican said, starring officials to support doors unfastened astatine Saint Peter's Basilica overnight arsenic they prepared for thousands much Thursday.

The basilica closed for conscionable 1 hr Thursday morning, from 6 a.m. until 7 a.m. section time, for cleaning.

Francis, who died Monday astatine 88, volition prevarication successful authorities astatine the basilica until his burial Saturday. The nationalist mourning play volition extremity Friday astatine 7 p.m. section time.

By precocious Wednesday, the hold appeared to beryllium 3 oregon 4 hours and growing. A idiosyncratic doing assemblage absorption estimated the hold was person to 5 hours. The mourners stretched down the halfway of Via della Conciliazione, successful a lane acceptable speech for Jubilee pilgrims.

Emiliano Fernandez, a Catholic from Mexico, was waiting successful enactment for much than 2 hours.

“I don’t adjacent attraction however overmuch clip I hold here. It’s conscionable the accidental to (show) however I admired Francisco successful his life,” Fernandez told the Associated Press. “I deliberation due to the fact that of the respect that I person for him and the large idiosyncratic helium was, it’s worthy the wait.”

Pope Francis' funeral: What to know

Francis' ceremonial work volition beryllium held astatine 4 a.m. EDT successful St. Peter’s Square successful Rome.

Francis' burial is expected to beryllium simpler than immoderate different popes', with the pontiff preferring lone 1 coffin and a much idiosyncratic last resting spot than the Vatican City Grottoes: the Basilica of St. Mary Major, adjacent his favourite Madonna icon.

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Who volition be Pope Francis’ funeral?

President Donald Trump said helium and archetypal woman Melania Trump program to be the funeral, and Argentine President Javier Milei‘s attendance is expected. Prince William will besides beryllium among the mourners, according to an announcement from Kensington Palace. The 42-year-old subordinate of Britain’s royal family will be the Vatican City ceremonial connected behalf of King Charles III, aggregate outlets reported.

William, heir to the British throne, has traditionally represented the monarch astatine funerals, according to Vanity Fair. 

The bureau of Polish President Andrzej Duda said Duda plans to be the ceremony. Poland has besides declared a time of nationalist mourning connected Saturday for the funeral.

Reuters has reported the pursuing satellite leaders volition besides be the funeral:

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer
• Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and archetypal woman Janja Lula de Silva
• French President Emmanuel Macron
• German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz
• Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok
• Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
• Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics
• Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda
• Romania’s interim President Ilie Bolojan
• Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia
• Switzerland’s President Karin Keller-Sutter
• Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
• European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President Antonio Costa, Parliament President Roberta Metsola
• East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito Freitas
• Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, and Prime Minister Bart De Wever

Vice President JD Vance volition not attend, a White House authoritative told NewsNation. Vance visited Francis during a little gathering connected Easter Sunday, the time earlier the pontiff died.

NewsNation’s Anna Kutz, Ashley N. Soriano, Patrick Djordjevic, Jeff Arnold and the Associated Press contributed to this report.