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,

So many mourners lined up to pay their respects to Pope Francis that the Vatican kept St. Peter's Basilica open all night to accommodate them.

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.