WATCH: Pope Francis’ body taken to St Peter’s ahead of funeral

Pope Francis' body, lying in an open casket, will be taken to St Peter's Basilica in a procession starting at 3 pm Manila time

Pope Francis’ body will be moved to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, April 23, to allow Catholic faithful to pay their final respects ahead of a funeral expected to bring U.S. President Donald Trump and dozens of other world leaders to Rome.

Francis, a groundbreaking reformer, died at 88 on Monday from a stroke and cardiac arrest, ending an often turbulent 12-year reign in which he repeatedly clashed with traditionalists and championed the poor and marginalised.

His body, lying in an open casket, will be taken from the chapel of the Vatican residence where he lived to St Peter’s, entering through the central door, in a grand procession starting at 9 am local time (0700 GMT; 3:00 pm Manila time), with cardinals and Latin chants.

Long queues of people formed around the Vatican ahead of the procession, which will be followed by a religious service in the basilica. The faithful and the general public will then be allowed to visit the late pontiff until 7 pm on Friday.

A funeral is scheduled for Saturday morning in St Peter’s Square, due to be led by the dean of the college of cardinals, 91-year-old Giovanni Battista Re. Francis previously asked to be buried in Saint Mary Major, a Roman basilica he was particularly attached to, rather than at Saint Peter’s like many of his predecessors, with a simple inscription of his name in Latin, Franciscus.

At least 200,000 people are expected to attend the outdoor service, the head of Italy’s civil protection agency, Fabio Ciciliano, told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. – Rappler.com