Mourners from across the globe made a slow, shuffling procession up the main aisle of St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their last respects to Pope Francis, finding community as they spent hours waiting to reach the open casket of the Argentine pontiff remembered for creating a climate of inclusion.
The public viewing was scheduled to resume Thursday, a day after it began with numbers that were so strong that the Vatican said it would consider longer hours to meet the demand. Nearly 20,000 people paid their respects in the first 8 1/2 hours.
