Vatican releases photos of Pope Francis in open coffin

Pope Francis’s  body is currently laid out in a coffin in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence, where he lived during his 12-year papacy. The Vatican has published a series of photographs of the Pope lying in an open coffin, The Telegraph writes.

The pictures, taken on Monday and released this morning, show the 88-year-old hours after his death during the rite of the Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff.

In one picture, Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo who will oversee the Holy See until a new Pope is elected, can be seen blessing Francis.

To remind, the Vatican revealed on Monday evening that Pope Francis has died from a stroke and heart failure.

Cardinals are meeting this morning to decide the date for Francis’s funeral, starting a process that will culminate in the election of a new Pope in three weeks.