` tags.
Vatican asks those paying respects to the late Pope to avoid taking pictures.
Vatican officials have requested that mourners refrain from taking pictures with the body of Pope Francis while he lies in state at St. Peter’s Basilica. They emphasize the need for a solemn and respectful atmosphere during this time of mourning.
This request follows the emergence of online images and videos showing visitors posing near the late Pope’s coffin. Vatican staff are instructing attendees to put away their mobile phones and maintain a prayerful and reflective environment.
“Visitors are asked not to take photos,” a Vatican spokesperson told The Times, highlighting the importance of upholding the dignity of the occasion.
Since the public viewing began on Wednesday, Vatican News reports that approximately 250,000 mourners have passed by the late Pope’s casket. St. Peter’s Basilica remained open overnight to accommodate the large crowds.
On Friday evening, a private ceremony led by Cardinal-Camerlengo Kevin Farrell saw the Pope’s coffin solemnly sealed. In accordance with age-old tradition, a white silk cloth was placed over Pope Francis’s face, and a bag filled with coins and medals produced during his time as Pope was placed inside the coffin. The wooden casket, marked with a cross, his coat of arms, and official Vatican seals, was then sealed in preparation for the funeral scheduled for Saturday morning.
The funeral will be attended by thousands of faithful, as well as global leaders and dignitaries, who will pay tribute to the 266th Pope, whose memory, according to the Vatican, “remains in the heart of the Church and of all humanity.”