Vatican asks visitors not to take selfies with late pope

25/04/2025 at 2:36pm

CNN
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Vatican officials are asking visitors not to take selfies with the late Pope Francis as he lies in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica, telling them to put their phones away as they passed by the coffin.

Almost 130,000 people have paid their respects to the pontiff, many queuing for hours to glimpse him lying in an open coffin, the Vatican said in a statement.

And while many bowed their heads in reflection and prayer, others held their mobile phones aloft, trying to take photos of Francis at rest, CNN footage filmed on Wednesday inside the basilica showed.