More than 20,000 faithful come from the morning of Wednesday to the Basilica of San Pedro, in the Vatican, to say goodbye to the Pope Francis, deceased Last Monday at 88 after a stroke.
As could be seen through several international television stations, Pope Francis’s open coffin moved in the morning from the burning chapel of the Santa Marta house, where the High pontiffto the San Pedro Basilica.
Before silence and the bells in the Vatican, the Pope’s coffin was taken in procession and escorted by the Swiss Guard to the altar of the confession, within the basilica.
Then, the choir sang Los Santos in Latin by the rest of his soul, Vatican News said.
According to the agency EFEthe ceremony began with the words of Cardinal Camarlengo, Kevin Joseph Farrell, who spread blessed water over the coffin with the remains of the Pope.
“With great commotion we accompany the remains of our beloved Pope Francis from this chapel to the Vatican Basilica, where he has exercised his ministry as bishop of the Church of Rome and apostle of the Universal Church,” Farrell read.
According to Vatican NewsCamarlengo referred to the gifts granted by the Pope to the Christian people during the 12 years of his pontificate.
“Let’s ask him, in his mercy and goodness, that grant the deceased Pope an eternal home in the kingdom of heavenand that he hits the papal family with the heavenly hope, to the Church in Rome and the faithful around the world, ”he said.
Tribute to Pope Francis
Then began the procession that toured the coffin through the Plaza de Santa Marta and that of the Roman protomartyrs. Later he crossed the arc of the bells and went to San Pedro, where Thousands of faithful received it with applause.
After the protocol ceremony, the doors of the basilica opened so that pilgrims arrived from all over the world paid tribute to the Supreme Pontiff.
Before the great influx of people, the faithful have had scarce seconds to stop in front of Pope Francis’s coffin, saints and pray.
“After the cluster of people to see it and how narrow the central corridor of the basilica is … Tray it from the front impact. We had seen it this morning on television, but it impacts watching it naturally,” said a visitor in statements to Efe.
The Basilica will be open until midnight on Wednesday, and then from 7:00 am on Thursday until 19:00 on Friday.
However, the Vatican foresees Expand until after midnight access to the basilica, before the large number of people who have arrived to say goodbye to the Pope, reported EFE.
According to the agency, Italy has deployed a maximum security device before the funeral of the Pontiff, to be held next Saturday, April 26, when it is estimated to attend around 200,000 faithful and several heads of state and government.
This has made the authorities establish a Air exclusion zone and put more than 4,000 police officers in the streets of Rome and the Vatican.
The police operation is expected to increase while approaching Saturday, when delegations from some 170 countries will arrive to give the last goodbye to the first Latin American Pope.
