Thousands of people have queued through the night to pay their respects to Pope Francis, whose body is being displayed in an open coffin at St Peter’s Basilica.
Entry to the church in Vatican City was due to stop at midnight local time (22:00 GMT) – but opening hours were extended to accommodate the large crowds gathered outside. Public viewing continues on Thursday.
The Argentine pontiff died on Monday at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke. He had spent five weeks in hospital earlier this year receiving treatment for double pneumonia.
On Wednesday, as many as 20,000 people witnessed red-robed cardinals and white-clad priests escort the coffin from the Pope’s residence, the Vatican said.
Bells tolled during the 40-minute procession, while the crowd broke into applause – a traditional Italian sign of respect.
Swiss Guards, who are responsible for the Pope’s safety, escorted his coffin to the church’s altar.
Francis was the first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church and held the role for 12 years.
His body will lie in state in the church until Friday evening. Public viewing began at 11:00 local time (10:00 BST) on Wednesday.
Police in the Vatican had told the BBC that St Peter’s Basilica would stay open all night so that a large crowd gathered on the square could file past the coffin.
At midnight, when the church was supposed to close for the night, there was still a very long queue of people wanting to pay their respects.
Soon after the event began, the queue was already eight hours long, according to Italian media. By mid-afternoon, tens of thousands of people were lining the square.
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.
Mary Ellen, an American who lives in Italy, said she had come to the Vatican on an overnight train to “say goodbye”.
She said when she passes the coffin, she will be praying and will ask Pope Francis for help with her own work with immigrants.
Inside St Peter’s, under the watchful marble eye of popes and saints, a steady stream of people made their way to the Pope’s casket to pay their respects.
Some kneeled while others prayed and crossed themselves, before slowly moving on.
Many lingered to admire the staggering beauty of the basilica. The atmosphere was quiet and solemn despite the thousands of people present.
Two women who waited for five hours to see the Pope said they had arrived at the basilica’s queue at 09:00.
Asked what was it like to see him in his coffin, she replied: “It’s just like the man we used to see on TV.”
Fredrik, who is from Ghana but travelled from Poland, said the Pope had “done his best” and “it is left to us to continue the good works”.
Eva Asensio, a Mexican on holiday in Italy, said she felt an affinity for the Argentine pope.
Margaux, who is French and lives in Rome, said it was “powerful to live this.”
To her, Pope Francis meant “hope”, and his more progressive social views were “very important”, she said.
