The mourners visit Pope Francis in the state in the Church of St. Peter

Tens of thousands of mourners lined up for a chance to pay their respect for Pope Francis, whose body was shown in an open coffin in the Church of St. Peter.

On Wednesday morning, up to 20,000 people gathered to watch the red and priests who wear white clothes accompanying the coffin from the Pope Personal Residence.

He performed the bells during a 40 -minute procession, while the crowd stormed an applause – a traditional Italian mark on respect.

Nine days of mourning will be observed in the Vatican, while the Pope’s funeral will be held on Saturday.

The 88 -year -old died on Monday after suffering a stroke. He had spent five weeks in the hospital earlier this year with double pneumonia.

Francis was the first leader in the Latin America of the Catholic Church and operated the role for 12 years.

His body will lie in the state in the church until Friday evening. Public viewing started at 11:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on Wednesday.

The Swiss guards, responsible for the safety of the Pope, took his coffin to the church altar.

Shortly after the start of the event, the waiting list was already eight hours, according to the Italian media. By mid -afternoon, tens of thousands of people lined up in the square.

The Vatican said he was considering extending the church’s opening time after midnight because of the number of people waiting.

The church was scheduled to close in the middle of the night local time on Wednesday and Thursday and at 19:00 on Friday, before the coffin was sealed.

Louis and Makarina, from Mexico, came to Rome to spend the honeymoon and hope to see the Pope, which gives a special blessing to the newlyweds. Louis BBC told the Pope’s final resting place to be allowed to feel contact.

Lewis said: “Pope Francis is a saint and will come from the sky.”

Mary Eileen, an American who lives in Italy, said that she came to the Vatican on a night train.

“I love Pope Francesco,” she said. “Because it is modest, gentle, he loves immigrants. I know that he might show a lot of difficult things in the Vatican. He fought power and Vatican power to be a real and real Christian.”

She said when the coffin passes, you will pray and ask Pope Francis to help her work with immigrants.

Inside the St. Peter’s, under the eye of the watchful marble from the Popes and the saints, a continuous stream of people made their way to the coffin of the Pope to pay their respect.

Some knelt while others prayed and crossed themselves, before moving slowly.

Many remain to enjoy the amazing beauty of the church. The atmosphere was calm and glory, although thousands of people were present.

Two women, who waited for five hours, said to see the Pope that they had reached a parking list at 09:00.

One of them said to the BBC, it was important for her to say goodbye to the youth.

She said: “All these years have followed everything he did, as if I had traveled all over the world with him, even if I was at home only. He liked to go everywhere and the poor are the poor.”

What was the case was to see him in his coffin, she replied: “It is like the man we used to see on TV.”

Frederick, from Ghana but he traveled from Poland, said that the Pope “did his best” and “he left us to continue good deeds.”

Eva Asensio, a Mexican vacation in Italy, said she felt a convergence of Argentine Pope.

“He saw him as a good door – a person who supported everyone, regardless of your sexual inclinations, regardless of where I came from. We have united us.”

“It is strong for this to live.”

She said that Pope Francis meant “hope”, and his most advanced social opinions were “very important”.

“I hope the next Pope will follow his way,” she said.

VIPs from all over the world, including UK Prime Minister Sir Kerr Starmer and Prince William, will attend the funeral on Saturday.

Pope Francis left clear instructions that he wanted a smaller concert with his simple tastes like his back. He had arranged for the beneficiary to pay for everything.

Unlike the vast majority of his predecessors, he will not be buried in St. Peter, but in a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in central Rome, under the grave of only engraved grave in his name.

Before he was transferred to St. Peter, Pope Francis was lying in an open coffin in his chapel, surrounded by the guards of Swiss and Cruelians in prayer.

His last public appearance was on Easter on Sunday, where he threw during brief notes to the masses that gathered in Saint Peter’s Square from a wheelchair.

Then he received worshipers and blessed children driving a car through the crowd.

Its papal apartments were closed, which represents the beginning of the period known as SDE Vacante – or an empty seat – which continues until a new head is elected to the church.

Additional reports by Jorge Perez