The Vatican has released photos of the tomb of Pope Francis, who was buried on Saturday in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.
The release came Sunday morning, as the tomb opened for public viewing. More than 13,000 people filed into the basilica to view the tomb, with thousands more waited outside.
All the cardinals in Rome are expected to visit the tomb to pay their respects on Sunday afternoon, according to the Vatican.
The tomb was opened on the second of nine days of official mourning for Francis, preceding the conclave which will be held to select the next pope. A date has not yet been set for the conclave, but it must begin by May 10, with cardinals due to meet regularly this week as they begin to plan the next steps for the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church.
Francis’ will stipulated a simple burial “in the earth, without particular decoration”, marked only with his papal name in Latin: Franciscus.
The 88-year pointff wa buried in a private ceremony in Rome’s Santa Maria Maggiore (St Mary Major), following after a publice funeral at the Vatican where an estimated 250,000 mourners gathered, to pay final respects
After the funeral, his simple wooden coffin was placed on an open-topped popemobile and driven more than three miles through the Italian capital to Santa Maria Maggiore, as crowds lined the route to witness the moment.
The Pope died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 after weeks battling pneumonia.
