The China Mail - Huge crowds pack Vatican for last day of Pope's lying in state

French President Emmanuel Macron was among the last to pay his respects, with the overall crowds exceeding the estimated 195,000 who came to see Francis's predecessor Benedict XVI after his death in 2013.

"What a great man! He loved everyone, every religion," said 53-year-old Italian Igho Felici after viewing Francis's coffin, adding: "I had to be here."

Throughout the day, vast crowds of people had packed Via della Conciliazione, the wide avenue leading to the basilica, pilgrims and tourists mingling with Italians enjoying the April 25 public holiday.

Francis's wooden coffin, in which the pope lies wearing a red chasuble, white mitre and black shoes, with a rosary laced around his fingers, will be closed in a private ceremony at 8:00 pm.

US President Donald Trump is among 50 heads of state and over a dozen royals expected to attend Saturday's funeral, alongside around 200,000 mourners.

Italian and Vatican authorities have placed the area around St Peter's under tight security with drones blocked, snipers on roofs and fighter jets on standby.

Further checkpoints will be activated on Friday night, police said.

- Global tributes -

The Catholic Church's first Latin American pope died on Monday aged 88, less than a month after spending weeks in hospital fighting severe pneumonia.

"It was like saying goodbye to a father" who "loved me and will continue to love me as and more than before," said Filipa Castronovo, 76, an Italian nun.

The pontiff, who had long suffered failing health, defied doctors' orders by making a public appearance on Easter Sunday, the most important moment in the Catholic calendar.

It was his last public appearance.

Condolences have flooded in from around the world for the Jesuit, an energetic reformer who championed those on the fringes of society in his 12 years as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

He used his last speech to rail against those who stir up "contempt... towards the vulnerable, the marginalised, and migrants".

"It's impressive to see all these people," French cardinal Francois-Xavier Bustillo said of the queueing crowds, describing Francis as "a man of the people.

"It's a beautiful response, a beautiful embrace of his ministry, of his pontificate," he added.

The Vatican has said more than 130 foreign delegations are confirmed for the funeral, including Argentina's President Javier Milei and Britain's Prince William, many of whom began arriving early on Friday morning.

Trump is expected to arrive on Friday evening for a visit of less than 24 hours, his first foreign trip of his second term.

Accompanied by his wife Melania, Trump will face many foreign leaders but no meetings have been announced.

The presence of Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky was in doubt after he said he may miss the funeral due to important "military meetings" following a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv.

- Selfie ban -

On Thursday the Vatican banned people from taking photos inside the basilica, a move that eased the queue. It came after some mourners took selfies with the coffin.

After the funeral, Francis's coffin will be driven at a walking pace for burial at his favourite church, Rome's papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

The hearse will pass down Rome's Fori Imperiali -- where the city's ancient temples lie -- and past the Colosseum, according to officials.

Big screens will be set up along the route on which to watch the ceremony, according to Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who estimated the crowds at around 200,000.

Francis was a champion of the underdog, and a group of "poor and needy" will be at Santa Maria Maggiore to welcome the coffin, the Vatican said.

Francis will be interred in the ground, his simple tomb marked with just one word: Franciscus.

People will be able to visit the tomb from Sunday morning, as all eyes turn to the process of choosing Francis's successor.

- Early May conclave possible -

Cardinals from around the world have been returning to Rome for the funeral and the election of a new pope.

They have been meeting every day to agree the next steps, but have yet to announce a date for the conclave.

Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Hollerich, a Jesuit who was a close adviser to Francis, said the conclave would likely begin on May 5 or 6.

This is right after the nine days of mourning declared by the Holy See, which ends on May 4.

Only those under the age of 80 -- currently some 135 cardinals -- are eligible to vote.

They put him ahead of Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle, the Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Manila, followed by Ghana's Cardinal Peter Turkson, and Matteo Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna.

C.Smith--ThChM