Vatican LIVE: Thousands Pay Their Final Respects to Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica | N18G

Pope Francis LIVE: Tens of Thousands Wait in Long Queue To See Pope's Open Casket | Vatican Media LIVE | CNBC TV18 Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid her respects on Wednesday (April 23) to the late Pope Francis, approaching his casket in St. Peter's Basilica. Mourners are paying their respects to Pope Francis, whose body was moved from his Vatican residence to St Peter's Basilica before his funeral on Saturday. mourners lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica that the Vatican kept the doors open all night due to higher-than-expected turnout, closing the basilica for just an hour and a half Thursday morning for cleaning. The basilica was bathed in a hushed silence as mourners from across the globe made a slow, shuffling procession up the main aisle to pay their last respects to Francis, who died Monday at age 88 after a stroke. The hours spent on line up the stately via della Conciliazione through St. Peter’s Square and through the Holy Door into the basilica has allowed mourners to find community around the Argentine pontiff’s legacy of inclusion and humble persona. The Pope's open coffin was carried on Wednesday morning in a solemn procession through St Peter's Square where as many as 20,000 pilgrims had gathered, Vatican media said. As the coffin crossed the square, bells tolled and crowds broke into applause - a traditional Italian sign of respect. The Pope died on Monday aged 88 following a stroke and a battle with double pneumonia, which led to him spending five weeks in hospital earlier this year. The first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church, he had held the role for 12 years. On Wednesday, red-robed cardinals and white-clad priests walked the Pope's coffin from his personal residence at the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse to the St Peter's Basilica. The procession lasted a little under 40 minutes. Swiss Guards, who are responsible for the Pope's safety, escorted his coffin to the church's altar. Crowds had been gathering since morning to pay their respects, with hundreds joining during the procession. Luis and Macarena, from Mexico, had come to Rome for their honeymoon and hoped to see the Pope, who gives a special blessing to newlyweds. Luis told the BBC seeing the Pope's final resting place would allow them to feel a connection. #popefrancis #popefrancisdeath #popefrancisfuneral #vatican #cnbctv18 #livenews