Pope Francis' body moved to St Peter's Basilica ahead of funeral, as thousands of mourners gather in the Vatican
by Kit Heren · LBCBy Kit Heren
Pope Francis' body has been moved into St Peter's Basilica ahead of his funeral this weekend, with thousands of mourners gathering in the Vatican.
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He was moved from the Chapel of Santa Marta near St Peter's, where his body had lain for two days after his death aged 88 on Monday.
Francis had been ill for some time before his death, caused bya cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure.
His funeral on Saturday will be attended by world leaders and statesmen including Donald Trump, Keir Starmer and Prince William.
Read more: Pope Francis, head of the Catholic church, dead at 88, Vatican announces
He was carried in an open casket on Wednesday accompanies by cardinals, members of the Swiss Guard, and other Vatican officials.
Many worshippers gathered to pay their respects on a sunny spring morning in Rome.
A new Pope will be selected in the coming weeks.
The coffin of the late pontiff, who died on Easter Monday aged 88, was moved from his residence at Casa Santa Marta to the basilica on Wednesday morning.
The procession, accompanied by cardinals and Latin chants, began at 9am local time (8am BST).
The public will be able to pay their respects from 11am local time (10am BST) on Wednesday until 7pm (6pm BST) on Friday.
The basilica will remain open until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday to accommodate mourners.
Kensington Palace confirmed on Tuesday that the Prince of Wales, a future head of the Church of England, will attend the funeral on behalf of the King.
In accordance with his wishes, Pope Francis will be buried at the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome, breaking with the tradition of papal burials in St Peter's Basilica.
He requested a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc, and his body will not be placed on an elevated platform, but instead will lie facing the pews.