Tens of thousands of mourners have flooded St. Peters Square for the funeral of Pope Francis, the poor and the first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church.
Some waited overnight to line up for the ceremony attended by world leaders.
The Argentine Pope, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, sought to turn the centuries-old church in a more inclusive direction during his 12-year-old Pope.
About 250,000 people lay in the province of St. Peter Basilica for three days before his co-conference, gathering from dawn on Friday to attend the final send-off.
“He was what the definition of being human, not just Pope,” said Andrea Ugardo, 39, who flew from Los Angeles to attend Saturday’s Mass.
Italian and Vatican authorities are holding large-scale security operations for the ceremony, with over 50 provincial leaders on their guest list.
There are no plane zones, fighters are on standby, and snipers are placed on roofs surrounding small city-states.
“We spent the night in the car here with our kids,” says Gabriella Lazo, 41 of Peru.
The funeral will depart the first of nine days of official Vatican mourning for Francis, who took over following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013.
After mourning, the Cardinals gather for the Conclave and elect a new Pope, heading the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
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