Moment tearful nun breaks Vatican protocol to pray next to Pope's coffin
by Alice Padgett · LBCBy Alice Padgett
Sister Genevieve Jeannigros, friend of Pope Francis, broke Vatican protocol to entered the restricted area to pray over his coffin.
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Dedicated mourners queued overnight to pay respects to Pope Francis, as the Vatican extended viewing hours to see the popular pontiff's remains.
The Vatican said more than 90,000 people have so far stood in line for hours in St Peter's Square to make their way into the basilica to catch a glimpse of Francis's body, which is laid out in an open coffin.
French-Argentine nun Sister Genevieve Jeannigros, 81, approached the restricted area around the Pope's coffin to pray for her friend of 40 years.
Officials allowed her to pay her respects before she broke down in tears.
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Sister Genevieve and Pope Francis became friends when they met in Buenos Aries.
The late Pope was a Cardinal and Archbishop of Buenos Aires.
The pair remained close after Francis became Pope in 2013.
Sister Genevieve bought a group of homeless people, transgender women and fairground workers to the Vatican weekly - leading to Pope Francis inviting them to lunch.
She lives in Ostia, near Rome, and has worked with the order of the Little Sisters of Jesus for more than 50 years.
Through her work, Sister Genevieve has focused on helping the less fortunate including transgender women.
The 88-year-old, who died on Easter Monday, has been dubbed by some as the "people's pope", having spoken out for the poor and those in need in his lifetime and shunned many of the extravagances that come with papal life.
Since his remains were transferred to St Peter's Basilica, waves of mourners stood patiently in line, with the queue snaking its way through the square to the Holy Door of the building.
Among those filing past the coffin, some blessing themselves with the sign of the cross or pausing briefly in prayer, were a mother and daughter who described it as a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience.
Primary school teacher Marguerite O'Leary and her teenage daughter Ellen, from County Clare in Ireland, stood for more than five hours on Wednesday to be among the first members of the public to see the late pontiff's remains inside St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
Mrs O'Leary said she felt it was their "duty to represent the people of Ireland when we were lucky enough to be here" in the days following the Pope's death, while her 14-year-old daughter described it as "amazing to be in there" and a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity".
Large crowds are also expected for Saturday's funeral in St Peter's Square, with the Prince of Wales, a future head of the Church of England, confirmed to be attending on the King's behalf.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will also be there, alongside other global leaders and dignitaries including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Irish premier Micheal Martin, Irish President Michael D Higgins and Scotland's First Minister John Swinney.
In accordance with the late pope's wishes, 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.