Thousands of faithful have gathered at Major St. Mary’s cathedral in the Pope Cathedral in Rome from early Sunday to pray and honor Pope Francis, who died last year at Easter.
The faithful flow continues uninterrupted from 7am when the cathedral opened its doors, but many have been queueing outside the church gates since the crack at dawn.
According to sources from Questura in Rome, about 20,000 people had arrived at the cathedral by noon, of which 13,000 were already inside.
Several Eucharist celebrations are being held at the Cathedral’s side chapel from opening hours with the main mass at 10am at the central altar.
Due to the long line, the faithful are invited to a very short prayer, pausing in front of the Pope’s tomb near the statue of Sarus Poppli Romani, for a few seconds.
What does Pope Francis’ tomb look like?
The tomb is simple, illuminated by warm light and decorated with only the reproduction of the cross on the chest of the late Pope. Only the late Pope’s Latin name, “Francis,” is engraved on pale marble, with one white rose laid.
Visitation is permitted until around 7pm on Sundays, then resumes throughout the day after official mourning, followed by a conclave to elect the next head of the Catholic Church.
According to Canon Law’s instructions, no dates have been set yet, but Cardinal of University must start by May 10th.
A large crowd descends to the Vatican
The followers also continued to flock to St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Sunday. About 200,000 people attended, from St. Peter’s Square to Delaconsyriazion, and Piazza Pier to Lisorgimente Square, according to Vatican news outlets.
The sole mass was primarily sided by the former Secretary of State and one of the next Conclave’s favourites, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Access to the square was blocked around 10:30am as it reached its maximum capacity. The loyal people who had no access to Parvis settled in the Square of Lisorgimento and Piazzapiah to trace Mass from the Jumbo Screen.
Hundreds of young pilgrims in St. Peters Square for teenagers Jubilee
In addition to those who came to Rome to pray for Pope Francis, thousands of young pilgrims from around the world were present in the Vatican for teenager Jubilee.
The three-day program dedicated to young people has undergone several changes and the canonization of Carlo Akotis, considered the first “millennial saint,” has been postponed.
During the emotional mass of Pope Francis’ suffrage, Cardinal Parolin reminded the youngsters that the Pope wanted to meet them.
“Easter Joy, who supports us in times of trials and sorrow, is something we can almost touch on in this square today,” he said during his Homily.
“You can see it engraved on your face, your face to celebrate your dear children and youth. You come from so many places. From Europe, from America to Latin America, Africa to Asia, from Asia, your world really appears.”
“Look between you and welcome you with a special greeting to the bishops and priests who accompanied you, with the desire to make you feel the embrace of the church and the affection of Pope Francis, who wanted to meet you.”
