By midday on Thursday, more than 60,000 people had already passed through St Peter’s Basilica to bid farewell to Pope Francis, as the public viewing entered its second day.
The basilica had remained open continuously from Wednesday morning until 5:30 am on Thursday. Just half an hour later, at 6 am, the queue resumed as crowds once again began gathering in the cool Roman dawn, hoping to pay their last respects to the late pontiff.
