
VATICAN CITY (AP) — So many people lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state at St. Peter’s Basilica that the Vatican kept the doors open all night, closing for just one hour from 6 a.m. until 7 a.m. Thursday. The last numbers released by the Vatican said more than 20,000 people had paid their last respects on Wednesday in the first 8 ½ hours of the public viewing. Francis, who died Monday after a stroke, is lying in a simple wooden coffin in front of the main altar, inclined on a slight ramp toward mourners. The Vatican had announced that the basilica would be open until midnight, but then indicated it would extend the hours due to higher-than-expected turnout.