Thousands line up for 2nd day to see glimpse of pope

Mourners queued in their thousands for hours on Thursday to catch a last glimpse of Pope Francis’s body on the second day of public tributes as Italian authorities stepped up security arrangements ahead of his weekend funeral.

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Some 61,000 people had filed past the late Catholic leader’s red-lined wooden coffin in the first 26 hours since Francis was laid in state at St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning, the Vatican said.

Such was the demand to see him that authorities extended visiting hours on Wednesday from midnight local time until 5:30 am.

‘After a break of just one and a half hours, the doors opened again, with authorities saying the window might again be extended on Thursday night if necessary.

Italian authorities have begun increasing security for the funeral, even blocking drones. On Thursday morning, the queue quickly stretched far past the two entry points at St Peter’s Square, where spirits were high despite the long wait.

“It’s true that it feels oppressive but at the same time you all feel united, everyone happy,” Frenchwoman Laure Du Moulin who visited with her family, told AFP.

“Everyone seems enthusiastic, fraternal, like a big community.” Friends Florencia Soria and Ana Sofia Alicata, both 26 and — like Francis — from Argentina, came prepared for the long wait with coffees and wondered whether the light rain might work in their favour.