Catholic faithful pay their final respects to Pope Francis as public viewing begins

Thousands of people began filing through St. Peter's Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis on Wednesday at the start of three days of public viewing ahead of his funeral.

- by Colleen Barry and Nicole Winfield

Throngs of the faithful made their way to the 16th-century basilica's main altar, where Francis’ open wooden casket was perched, as Swiss Guards stood at attention. Over the coming days, tens of thousands of people are expected to pass through, and the Vatican said it may extend the viewer hours even longer due to high turnout. In the first 8 1/2 hours, 19,430 people paid their respects to the pope.

Francis was laid out in red robes, clasping a rosary and wearing a bishop's miter, the traditional pointed headdress. Mourners waited hours to reach the casket, which was behind a cordon. Some held their cell phones aloft as they neared to snap photos in what has become a modern ritual.

"It gave me chills," said Ivenes Bianco as she left. She was in Rome from the southern city of Brindisi for medical care and came to pay her respects. "He was important to me because he encouraged co-existence. He brought many people together."

Francis' casket wasn't put on an elevated bier — as was the case with past popes — but placed on a ramp facing the pews. It was in keeping with his wishes for the rituals surrounding a papal funeral to be simplified to reflect his belief that the pope's role is that of a simple pastor, not a world leader.

Cardinals, meanwhile, met in private to finalize preparations for Saturday's funeral and plan the conclave to elect Francis' successor.

Francis died on Monday at age 88, capping a 12-year pontificate characterized by his concern for the poor and message of inclusion, but also some criticism from conservatives who sometimes felt alienated by his progressive bent.