Thousands pay their respects to the Pope as he lies in state at St Peter's Basilica
The body of Pope Francis will now lie in state at St Peter's Basilica ahead of his funeral this weekend.
Wednesday 23 April 2025 09:38, UK
The body of Pope Francis has been moved and will now lie in state in St Peter's Basilica ahead of his funeral this weekend.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to travel to the Vatican over the next three days to pay their respects to the pontiff, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.
On Wednesday morning, thousands attended the procession, which was accompanied by cardinals and Latin chants.
The basilica will remain open until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday to accommodate mourners.
Pope Francis: Follow the latest
Outside of the basilica, some members of the crowd were visibly emotional.
Inside, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo, completed the Liturgy of the Word after purifying the body of the late pontiff.
After the procession was complete, those gathered left the basilica - leaving the pontiff to lie in state with public viewings beginning.
After his funeral on Saturday morning (9am UK time) there will be a nine-day period of mourning, known as the "novendiali", after which the secretive meeting - called the conclave - will begin to elect a new pope.
The conclave to choose his successor must start between 5 and 10 May.
The first images of his body were released on Tuesday, showing him in red vestments and his bishop's mitre in a wooden casket.
The Vatican secretary of state was shown praying over him in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived and died.
Previous popes were entombed in three coffins: the first made of wood, another of lead and a third, again made of wood.
But in 2024, Francis changed the rules and said that only one coffin, a wooden one lined in zinc, should be used.
In a break from tradition, he will be buried in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, according to his wishes.
Following the Pope's death, from a stroke and heart failure, world leaders have praised his moral leadership and compassion and Cardinal Farrell has taken temporary charge.
On Tuesday, Sir Keir Starmer described him as "a quite remarkable man, and the work and commitment that he put into fairness over so many years, and globally, I think will be a real lasting legacy".
Sir Keir will join a growing list of dignitaries who will attend the funeral on Saturday, including Prince William, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ireland's prime minister Micheal Martin, Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia, and Donald Trump.
Read more:
St Peter's Square full of smiles
How accurate is Conclave?
What next after the Pope?
Follow our channel and never miss an update.
Huge numbers have attended the funerals of Pope Francis's predecessors.
In 2023, around 50,000 people attended the funeral of Benedict XVI, according to the Washington Post. In 2005, around 300,000 went to the funeral of John Paul II.
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Once the conclave begins, cardinals vote in secret sessions in the Sistine Chapel.
After voting sessions, the ballots are burned in a special stove. Black smoke indicates that no pope has been elected, while white smoke indicates that the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church.