Thousands Gather to Bid Farewell to Pope Francis

Catholics and other mourners are queued up and streaming past the open casket holding Pope Francis to pay their final respects. The late pontiff, who died Monday at the age of 88, is now officially lying in state at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, where he'll remain for the next three days ahead of his Saturday funeral, reports the Guardian. The BBC has photos of the masses gathering for a final glimpse of the Argentine formerly known as Jorge Bergoglio, noting that people from around the world have descended upon Vatican City to say their farewells.

The BBC reports that at least 20,000 people were in St. Peter's Square to watch the pope's body being moved from his apartments to the basilica. "It was beautiful and amazing to be able to witness it," one bystander says. "It was very moving." The viewing will remain open to the public until midnight local time on both Wednesday and Thursday, per Vatican News, and until 7pm on Friday, after which the pope's coffin will be closed in a special ceremony presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo who's effectively the acting pope until a new pope is chosen. (More Pope Francis stories.)