Pope Francis's coffin arrives in Saint Peter's Basilica to lie in state
Pope Francis's body arrived at Saint Peter's Basilica on Wednesday to lie in state before his weekend funeral.
The late pope's open wooden coffin was carried by pallbearers the 500 meters from the Casa Santa Marta where he lived and died, behind a procession of red-robed cardinals.
To the ringing of St Peter's bells, the coffin left the Casa Santa Marta, the modest residence where Francis lived and died, on the shoulders of pallbearers and was carried slowly towards the basilica.
Eight Swiss Guards carrying staffs walked beside the open wooden coffin as it passed through St Peter's Square, which was filled with tens of thousands of onlookers.
Priests decked out in choir dress and others in cassocks made up the long procession, some with candles in their hands, as groups of nuns followed behind.
His open coffin—which he had previously ordered to be made of wood and zinc—was placed on a simple wooden bier before the basilica's altar, instead of the more ornate podiums used for his predecessors.
It will remain there for three days.
From Monday evening until its transfer to the basilica, his coffin was lying inside the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta residence, where he had lived during his 12-year papacy.
The Argentine pontiff died on Monday aged 88 after suffering a stroke, coma and heart failure.
His funeral is set for Saturday and is expected to draw huge crowds and leaders from across the globe.
The coffin will then be taken back inside before being taken to Rome's basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial.
