The line to see the Pope, who is in an open coffin, was the longest since his body was transported to lay in state on Wednesday. It stretched out of St. Peter’s Square and down the street on Thursday morning.
The Vatican City church’s entrance was supposed to close at midnight local time (22:00 GMT), but in order to handle the high number of visitors, the hours of operation were extended.
The pontiff suffered a stroke and passed away on Monday at the age of 88. Earlier this year, he had been hospitalized for five weeks due to double pneumonia.
For twelve years, Pope Francis served as the first Latin American head of the Catholic Church.
