Vatican City (AP) – The bells of San Pedro Tolled on Wednesday when Pope Francis’s body was transferred from the Vatican Hotel, where he lived to the Basilica, escorted by a procession of solemn cardinals and Swiss guards through Piazza itself, where he had greeted the faithful of his popétil a few days earlier in what became what became what became his last good way.
The coffin carriers carried the simple wooden coffin on their shoulders through the doors of the Vatican arch, towards the Plaza de San Pedro and towards the Basilica, the cardinals in their scarlet sitorias and the Swiss guards in him. Gold and gold blue and gold blue.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who directs the Vatican temporarily until a new Pope is chosen, directed the procession, with incense clouds when the church choir began to sing the litany of the anthem of the saints.
Heads of state for Francis’s funeral on Saturday, but the three days of public visualization in the Basilica will allow common Catholics to cry to the 88 -year -old Pope, who mortally after suffering a stroke.
The Basilica remained open until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday to allow the faithful to cry.
The public mourning period will end on Friday at 7 pm, when Francis’s coffin is closed and sealed.
The mourners in La Piazza observed how Francis’s coffin passed them, along the same way, the Pope had traveled only a few days before, on Easter Sunday, in what became his last Popemobile tour through the faithful. It was a deaf greeting, what Francis decided at the last minute after his nurse that he could do it despite his continuous fragile health due to pneumonia.
Francis was for the first time in the state at the Hotel Domus Santa Marta in a private observation for the residents of the Vatican and the papal home.
The images released by the Vatican on Tuesday showed Francis lying in an open coffin, crying the traditional pointed headdress of red bishops and robes, his hands folded on a rosary.
The number 2 of the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was photographed praying for Francis.
Once inside the Basilica, Francis’s coffin did not put himself in an elevated beer, so it was the case with Papes Papes, but placed in an inclined ramp, the main altar of the 16th -century basilica, in front of the banks, with four suits standing in Atte.
It was in line with Francis’s own wishes so that all rituals surrounding a papal funeral would simplify and reflect the role of the Pope as a simple pastor, not as a world leader.
The Italian police have pressed the security for observation and funeral, making patrols of feet and horses around the Vatican, where the pilgrims continued to arrive for the celebrations of the Holy Year that Francis opened in December.
The faithful who walk through San Pedro Santo for granting indulgences, a way of helping to atone for sins.
“For me, Pope Francis represents a great shepherd, as well as a great friend for all of us,” said Micale Sales, visiting the Basilica of San Pedro from Brazil.
“I think he spread a positive message worldwide, saying that a violence should go, there should be peace worldwide,” said Amit Kukreja, from Australia.
The funeral has been scheduled for Saturday at 10 in the morning in the Plaza de San Pedro, and will attend leaders, including the president of the United States, Donald Trump and Ukrainian President, Volodmyr Zenskyy.
The cardinals continue their meetings this week to plan the conclave to choose Francis’s successor, make other decisions about the Catholic Church as world leaders and the ordinary faithful cry the death of the pontiff.
The first Latin American pontiff in history loved the world with its humble style and group for the poor, but alienated many conservatives with criticism of capitalism and climate change.
The last one appeared in public on Sunday with a blessing of Easter and a Popemobile tour through a crowd that cheered in the Plaza de San Pedro.
He had some reservations about traveling the place full of 50,000 faithful and Vatican News reported on Tuesday, but defeated them, and thanked to have received the crowd.
He died the next morning.
“The death of a Pope is not something small, because we have lost our leader,” said Julio Henrique from Brazil. “But still, in a few days, we will have a new leader. Then … hope remains. Who will assume Peter’s throne?”
