Pope Francis Lies in State in Open Casket at St. Peter’s Basilica as Catholics Line Up to Pay Their Respects

• Pope Francis is lying in state in an open casket at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City
• Francis’ body was taken from Casa Santa Marta, his residence at the Vatican, to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, April 23
• The late pontiff’s body will remain there until his burial on Saturday, April 26, five days after his death at the age of 88

Mourners are gathering to pay their respects to Pope Francis, who died earlier this week and is now lying in state.

Following a series of rituals surrounding his memorial, Francis’ body was taken from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, his residence at the Vatican, to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, April 23, at 9 a.m. local time, according to the Vatican. His body will remain there until his burial on Saturday, April 26.

The procession, which passed through St. Peter’s Square, lasted a little under 40 minutes, according to BBC News.

According to the Vatican, over 20,000 people gathered in the square to pay their respects to the late pope during the procession. The crowd then broke into subdued applause as his coffin was carried up the steps and into St. Peter’s Basilica.

The public will be able to file past the open casket from 11:00 a.m. local time.

Back in 2023, when Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died, tens of thousands lined up to say their goodbyes.

The world leaders who are set to attend the pope’s funeral include U.S. President Donald Trump and Prince William, who will be making the journey on behalf of his father King Charles and the rest of the British royal family.

Afterwards, his body will be transported to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the late pope’s favorite church, where he will be buried.

In his final testament, Francis specified that he wanted to be buried “in the ground, without particular decoration” and with the inscription of his papal name in Latin — “Franciscus” — Reuters reported.

Austen Ivereigh, Pope Francis’ biographer, also told BBC News that coins minted during his papacy – one for each year of his 12-year tenure – will have been placed in a bag in his coffin.

This will make him the first pope in more than a century not to be buried in St. Peter’s Basilica, according to the BBC.

Francis died on Monday, April 21, at 7:35 a.m. local time, according to the Vatican. His official cause of death was later confirmed to be a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.

The pontiff was also affected by a “previous episode of acute respiratory failure in bilateral multimicrobial pneumonia, multiple bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension, and type II diabetes,” the church said.

In the final hours before his death, Francis delivered his yearly blessing for Easter as well as an address through Cardinal Angelo Comastri, who led Mass at Saint Peter’s Square.

He also met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, then “rested on Sunday afternoon and had a quiet dinner.” According to the Vatican, his health deteriorated quickly on Monday morning with “the first signs of the sudden illness” appearing about 5:30 a.m. local time.

“Around an hour later, after making a gesture of farewell with his hand to Mr. Strappetti, lying in bed in his second-floor apartment at the Casa Santa Marta, the Pope fell into a coma,” the Vatican said.

“According to those who were with him in his final moments, he did not suffer. It all happened quickly,” the Vatican continued, describing Francis’ death as “discreet … almost sudden, without long suffering or public alarm.”

As for his final words, the Vatican said that saying “thank you” to his longtime health aide, Massimiliano Strappetti, was among his last messages.

Francis had long grappled with health issues, including a 38-day stay in the hospital earlier this year for respiratory complications. Additionally, he had arterial hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, the church said.

Still, he continued to work until the end of his life.

Francis had a “phenomenal work ethic,” Ivereigh previously told PEOPLE. “That’s been true of him for decades. People who work with him say he hasn’t taken a holiday since the 1970s.”