The Vatican opted to extend the visiting hours at St. Peter's Basilica on the evening of Wednesday, April 23, as thousands of mourners visited to pay their respects to Pope Francis who died on Monday,

The basilica was bathed in a hushed silence as mourners from across the globe made a slow, shuffling procession up the main aisle to pay their last respects to Francis.

St. Peter's Basilica closed its doors just briefly in the early hours and then opened again to welcome crowds of worshippers from around the world lining up to pay their final respects to Pope Francis.