Vatican City, Apr 26: The Vatican formally ended the lying in state of Pope Francis on Friday evening, sealing his coffin during a private religious ceremony inside St. Peter's Basilica after three days of public mourning attended by around 250,000 visitors, CNN reported.

Pope Francis, who was the first pontiff from Latin America and the first from the Jesuit order, had requested simpler funeral rites. In keeping with his wishes, his body was placed in a single wooden coffin, foregoing the traditional triple-layered coffins of cypress, lead, and oak used in previous papal funerals.

The rite was led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, who oversees funeral arrangements following a pope's death. Farrell, a Dublin-born cleric and naturalised American citizen, previously served as Bishop of Dallas.

He was assisted by other church officials, including a Venezuelan archbishop, a Brazilian prelate, and Pope Francis' personal secretaries. Cardinal Roger Mahony, retired Archbishop of Los Angeles, who has faced criticism over his handling of clerical abuse cases, also participated, according to the Vatican press office. Some of the late pope's family members were present for the ceremony, reported CNN.

The coffin sealing ceremony was conducted in private, featuring short hymns, spoken prayers, and a moment of silent reflection. Cardinal Farrell placed a white silk veil over the pope's face and sprinkled the body with holy water, following Vatican protocol. The pope's pallium, coins minted during his pontificate, and a deed summarising the main events of his papacy were placed inside the coffin before it was sealed. The rite concluded with a hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Following the ceremony, the Vatican announced that a prayer vigil would be maintained through the night by the Chapter of St. Peter's Basilica, ahead of the funeral Mass scheduled for Saturday morning. The funeral, which will begin at 10 am local time (4 am ET) on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica, will also mark the beginning of the Novendiales -- nine days of mourning during which funeral Masses are held daily at the basilica.

Friday saw heavy crowds around the Vatican as Italy observed Liberation Day, a national holiday. With the public holiday providing more time for visits, thousands of people continued to line the streets, filing through the basilica before it closed to the public at 7 p.m. local time. Many visitors traveled from abroad, including Joana Veiga from Porto, Portugal, who described the atmosphere as "very peaceful - calm" after viewing the pope's coffin, CNN reported.

Pope Francis' final burial site will be at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. His tomb, crafted from Ligurian marble -- a nod to his great-grandfather's origins -- will remain simple by design, featuring only an image of the cross he wore as Archbishop of Buenos Aires and his papal name inscribed in Latin as Franciscus.

(ANI)

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