Live Coverage | Thousands of Faithful Bid Farewell to Pope Francis

Thousands of faithful have been bidding farewell to Pope Francis at St. Peter's Basilica since yesterday, Wednesday, when nearly 20,000 people gathered to witness the transfer from the Santa Marta residence, where he passed away last Monday. The temple will welcome visitors wishing to say goodbye to Francis until Friday at 7:00 PM.

The funeral for the eternal rest of the Pope will be held next Saturday, and subsequently, his remains will be interred in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in the Italian capital, a wish he himself left in writing in his will. The tomb, located in the Pauline Chapel, will be austere, without adornments or epitaphs, bearing only his name in Latin: Franciscus.

Meanwhile, in the Vatican, meetings of the cardinals continue as they await the start of the Conclave to decide the name of the new Pontiff. It will not be before May 5th when the 133 cardinal electors (those under 80 years old and with a two-thirds majority) choose the new Pope. In the last century, conclaves have lasted between two and five days.

However, this is the first time it will be composed of cardinals from 71 countries, making it potentially more complex to reach an agreement, as many of the electors have not met until now.