People queue to pay their respects to late Pope Francis as his body lies in state, on Via della Conciliazione, near the Vatican, in Rome, on April 23, 2025. Tens of thousands of mourners began saying their last goodbyes to Pope Francis at St Peter's Basilica Wednesday, as the body of the late Argentine pontiff began three days of lying in state. Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP

Rome, 24 april 2025De Sint-Pietersbasiliek in Vaticaanstad is de hele nacht opengebleven zodat gelovigen en andere belangstellenden afscheid konden nemen van de daar opgebaarde paus Franciscus. Eigenlijk zou de basiliek rond middernacht sluiten, maar omdat er toen nog lange rijen stonden bleef de Sint-Pieter voor onbepaalde tijd open.

Morgen hebben mensen ook nog de mogelijkheid om afscheid te nemen. Vanavond is de basiliek in principe geopend tot middernacht, morgen tot 19.00 uur. Daarna, om 20.00 uur, volgt het ritueel van de afsluiting van de kist, geleid door kardinaal Kevin Farrell, de Camerarius van de Heilige Roomse Kerk.

Members of the public line up to pay their respects to late Pope Francis as he lies in state inside Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, 23 April 2025. Faithful and well-wishers will be able to pay their respects to Pope Francis, who died on 21 April 2025, aged 88, until his funeral on 26 April in the plaza in front of the basilica. EPA/ALESSANDRO DI MEO