Turnout to View Pope Has Been Higher Than Expected

So many 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 on 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 his humble persona, the AP reports.
• The Vatican said more than 61,000 people had paid their respects by 1pm local time on Thursday, more than a day after opening. The basilica closed for just a short time Thursday morning, from about 5:30am until 7am, the planned opening time.

• Emiliano Fernandez, a Catholic from Mexico, was waiting in line around midnight, and after two hours he still hadn't reached the basilica. "I don't even care how much time I wait here. It's just the opportunity to (show) how I admired Francisco in his life,'' he said.
• Robert Healy flew on the spur of the moment from Ireland to pay his respects. "I think it's just really important to be here, to show our respect to the Holy Father,'' he said. "We flew from Dublin last night, we're staying for one day, home tonight then. We just felt it was really important to be here."
• "I think the Pope was an amazing man, so I wanted to see him," 13-year-old Edoardo, who was waiting after midnight with his parents, told the BBC. "I am really sorry. But I think maybe he will enjoy heaven."

• After three days of public viewing, a funeral Mass including heads of state will be held Saturday in St. Peter's Square. The pope will then be buried in a niche within the St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome.
• Italian authorities have tightened security around the Vatican, adding drones to foot and horse patrols, to secure the area for mourners and foreign delegations expected for the funeral. The Vatican said 130 delegations are confirmed, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns.

(More Pope Francis stories.)