Correspondent Deborah Castellano Lubov reports amid the faithful queuing in St. Peter's Square to pay their respects to Pope Francis before his coffin will be sealed on Friday night. According to the Holy See Press Office, from 11 a.m. Wednesday through Thursday evening, at 7 p.m., more than 90,000 have paid their respects to the late Pope whose funeral will be Saturday, 26 April, in St. Peter's Square.

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Filipino Cardinal Louis Antonio Gokim Tagle leads the fourth recitation of the Rosary in memory of Pope Francis at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major on Thursday evening, 24 April.

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A cry for peace and mercy for the world – this is what the great musical and religious event, Symphony of Mercy, will be about. It is scheduled to take place simultaneously on April 26 in Krakow, the Vatican, and six continents. The organizers received the blessing of the Holy Father already in February. Now, the Symphony will also serve as an act of thanksgiving for the pontificate of Pope Francis. "This will be a Symphony for you, our dear Holy Father Francis!" say the organizers.

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The parish priest of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, details to Vatican News Pope Francis’ the final gesture of closeness toward the Christian community sheltered in the compound two days before his death, and recalls his incessant calls for peace in the Holy Land.

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Irish writer Colum McCann reflects on his encounters with Pope Francis.

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The US-based Jewish writer Jonathan Safran Foer reflects on the legacy of Pope Francis, who "reminded us of what we continually forget: goodness is not an idea but a practice."

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In an interview with Vatican News, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, the former President of the US Bishops' Conference who accompanied the late Pope on his Apostolic Visit to the United States in 2015, says Americans "were yearning" for Pope Francis' message of mercy.

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Pope Francis’ tomb in the Basilica of St. Mary Major has been made with materials from the Italian region of Liguria. It is a simple tomb bearing only the inscription “Franciscus” and a reproduction of the late Pope’s pectoral cross.

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Upon hearing about the death of Pope Francis, parishioners at the Cathedral of Beira in Mozambique gathered in the church to celebrate a Mass in honour of the Pontiff.

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The 113 Cardinals present in Rome hold their third General Congregation on Thursday morning, and announce who will deliver the two pre-conclave meditations.

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