Inside St Peter’s, mourners weep for the pope they loved. Outside, speculation is already swirling

‘We had to be here’: Eight-hour queue a striking reminder of pope’s global appeal

Mourners pass the pope’s coffin silently, while others wipe away tears. Outside, conversations among cardinals and speculation about the coming conclave are already swirling.

Mourners crowd Vatican to honor Pope Francis and say farewell

Thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square as Pope Francis' casket was brought for three days of viewing. The pontiff, who died Monday at age 88, will be celebrated this Saturday in an elaborate funeral mass. Mourners came from all corners of the world. Some were compelled by pilgrimage, others to witness a snapshot in time of the 2000-year-old Catholic Church. Malcolm Brabant reports from Rome.

The crowd is huge: more than 100,000 believers want to say goodbye to Pope Francis on the open coffin. The snake in front of St. Peter's Basilica was in the meantime so long that the waiting time was estimated at eight hours.[more]]>

The dead Pope is now in the open coffin in St. Peter's Basilica. By Friday evening, believers can say goodbye there. Some also use this for selfie. Rome is in a state of emergency.

Among pilgrims and curious people in Rome to pay homage to Bergoglio's coffin: from Mumbai to Seoul, from Hanoi to Shanghai, believers and non-believers tell AsiaNews about their presence in the Vatican to witness this historic moment. “We are Hindus but it was important for us to be here.” “Even we Koreans will remember it for a long time.” “We couldn't see it in Singapore, now we're pilgrims here.”

Hours in line, seconds by the coffin - Metro joins queue to say goodbye to Pope

Metro’s Gergana Krasteva joined the queue at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican to say a last goodbye to Pope Francis It is sweltering hot in the Vatican City where tens of thousands of people are lining up to see the remains of Pope Francis. I am one of them – my hair is stuck to my forehead and droplets of sweat are running down my neck. I have already apologised to at least a dozen people for bumping them with my tripod. Mourners surrounding me…