So many mourners lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica that the Vatican kept the doors open all night due to higher-than-expected turnout, closing the basilica for just an hour Thursday morning for cleaning. The basilica is bathed in a hushed silence as mourners … Read more
Thousands of people filed through the central aisle of St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis on Wednesday, the start of three days of public viewing ahead of the pontiff’s funeral. Throngs of ordinary faithful made their way slowly to the 16th-century basilica’s main altar, where Francis’ simple open wooden casket … Read more
Sealing the pope’s apartment. A gathering of cardinals. White smoke and bells rung. These are just some of the events that take place once a pontiff has died and while a new pope is chosen. It’s all part of a long history of tradition dictating what happens now following the death of Pope Francis on … Read more
Tributes are pouring in from around the world for the late Pope Francis hours after his death, with world leaders remembering him as a voice of “moral clarity, spiritual courage and boundless compassion.” Liberal Leader Mark Carney started his campaign event in Prince Edward Island with a tribute to the late pontiff. “I want to … Read more