15:34 BST
Daniel Wittenberg
Reporting from Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica
Image caption,
A group of friends proudly wearing Argentina football shirts came to pay their respects
Outside the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, where Pope Francis’ coffin has just been interred, the square is still busy with people pausing to reflect or take photographs.
Some were here earlier to watch his coffin arrive at its final resting place. Others have made their way here since, wanting to pay their respects, even though the church remains closed to the public.
“We felt blessed to be here,” says Grace, 20, a dance teacher from Colchester, who happened to have booked a hotel overlooking the basilica with her boyfriend Frankie long before the Pope’s death.
“It was really quiet as his coffin was arriving. Everyone was just praying or reflecting. It was nice to be part of something so special. We saw how much it meant to everyone,” she adds.
A group of friends proudly wearing Argentina football shirts, all living in Rome, felt they had to come here today to honour the first Latin American Pope.
“We decided to come here as Argentinians to bring Francis our condolences and accompany him to his tomb,” Augustin tells me.
“It is such a huge loss for us,” he says. “But now we know he is resting in peace in a place he chose.”
“Francis was a very humble person with a big heart who helped many people. It is a very sad day, not only for us Argentinians, but for the whole world.”
