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Vatican opens St. Peter's Basilica to public to pay final respects to Pope Francis

Published: 23 Apr. 2025, 20:34

The Vatican's camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, right, diffuses incense next to the body of Pope Francis that lies in state at St. Peters Basilica, in Vatican City on April 23. [EPA/YONHAP]

Pope Francis, the Argentine pontiff remembered for his humble style, concern for the poor, and insistent prayers for peace, died Monday at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke.

Francis' body will be transferred from his home in the Vatican guesthouse to St. Peter’s Basilica for three days of public viewing. The basilica will be kept open until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday to allow the faithful to mourn. The public mourning period will end on Friday at 7 p.m. local time.

The pope's casket passed along the same path he had traveled just days before, on Easter Sunday, in what became his final popemobile tour for the faithful. It was a surprise salute, which Francis decided at the last minute after being assured he could do it despite his continued frail health from pneumonia.

Devotees pray near the banner of the late Pope Francis in Dili, East Timor on April 23. [AP/YONHAP]

The procession included solemn cardinals, prelates, and Swiss Guards escorting the pontiff to where he will lie in state. A choir chanted as the cardinals processed slowly through the archway gates leading out into the piazza.

Cardinals met at the Vatican on Tuesday to schedule the papal funeral and burial, plan the conclave to elect a successor, and make other decisions about running the Catholic Church.

Heads of state are expected for the funeral Saturday in St. Peter’s Square, but the public viewing is largely for ordinary Catholics to grieve the late pope.

Churches across the Philippines rang their bells Monday to mourn the pope, who visited the country in 2015 to console survivors of Typhoon Haiyan.

Filipinos in Taiwan began gradually gathering at St. Christopher’s Church, a center for a community whose members have migrated to the island to work mainly in factories and as caregivers.

“This is a church for migrants, for people who have to live away from their loved ones, and Pope Francis had a deep concern for those people,” said Luz Fernandez, a housekeeper whose employer gave her time off to light a candle at the church. “He will be missed.”

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the leader of the largest Roman Catholic nation in Asia, will attend the funeral in Rome. Marcos, 67, will be joined by his wife, Louise Araneta-Marcos. The Philippine leader extolled Francis as “a man of profound faith and humility,” calling him “the best pope in my lifetime.”

Chen Chien-jen, a devout Taiwanese Catholic, will represent the island democracy. Though less than 5% of Taiwan’s population is Catholic, the church has roots there dating back to 17th-century Spanish explorers. Chen is a former vice president and premier and recipient of several of the Vatican’s highest honors. Relations with the Vatican are especially important to Taiwan, as the Holy See is the only European state to recognize the island’s sovereignty in defiance of China.

The Papua New Guinean Archbishop John Ribat is preparing to leave for the Vatican on Wednesday. “The important thing is that … Papua New Guinea is part of the church, the global church,” said the 68-year-old Archbishop of Port Moresby. Francis appointed Ribat a cardinal in 2016, and the pope visited the island nation just last year.

People gather in St. Peter Square as they await the arrival of the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter Basilica for three days, at the Vatican on April 23. [AP/YONHAP]

In the United States, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that President Donald Trump is planning to leave Washington on Friday morning to fly to Rome for the funeral and return Saturday evening. She did not provide details on whether Trump will meet with foreign leaders or who might travel with him as part of a U.S. delegation.

The U.S. vice president, currently on a four-day visit to India, said Wednesday that he saw Pope Francis on Easter Sunday during his Vatican visit and didn’t realize how ill he was. “I will always remember the pontiff as a great pastor,” he said.

Meanwhile, Israel's ministry of foreign affairs refused to comment on its decision to post and then delete a message on X that read: “Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing.” According to Israeli media, diplomats serving in predominantly Catholic countries were furious over the deleted post.

Pope Francis was known for being critical of Israel’s war in Gaza and exceptionally close to the Catholic Church there. However, he had also called on Hamas to release the hostages and condemned the rise in antisemitism. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not made any public comment on the pope’s passing.

AP