Huge crowds gather to file past the body of Pope Francis

Thousands of mourners are expected to file past the body of the late Pope Francis as his official lying in state begins in the Vatican today.

For the next three days St Peter's Basilica will open at 7am each morning and close at midnight to allow as many people as possible to file past.

The final day of lying in state will end at 7pm so that St Peter's can be prepared for his funeral Mass on Saturday which will be attended by high profile VIPs including Prince William, Sir Kier Starmer and Donald Trump.

The Pope's body will be brought from the chapel of Santa Marta where he has been lying since his death on Monday, in a solemn procession.

Vatican Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the man temporarily in charge of ...
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