Mourners paying their final respects to Pope Francis have been disturbed by others snapping selfies beside his body in his open casket — with some even posting smiling photos online.
Ten of thousands have flocked to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City to see the late pope, with many using it as a grim photo op rather than a moment of somber reflection.
While some looked sad in their selfies, at least one Instagrammer posted a photo of herself smiling as the pope lies lifelessly in a raised coffin just feet away.
“People were being asked to put their selfie sticks away when they got to the front,” UK tourist Martin Gilsenan told the Mirror.
“There were also many people looking around and getting upset with those on the phones,” he said, with images showing others crowding around taking pics, despite being told not to..
“I found the mobile phones very distasteful,” added Gilsenan’s wife, Catherine. “I was very surprised there were photos.”
Some 50,000 people have made their way to St. Peter’s Basilica from across the globe to pay their final respects to the pope, who died of a stroke on Easter Monday.
The crowds were so large that the Vatican kept the doors open overnight on Wednesday.
“What did surprise me is the fact that earlier we were told no photos in the Sistine Chapel and here people were getting their phone out and doing selfies with the coffin,” Janine Venables, of Wales, told the Daily Mail.
Read more on Pope Francis’ death
“I did think that was a bit in poor taste, and I’m surprised no one stopped them,” she added.
Francis’ casket wasn’t put on an elevated bier, as was the case with past popes, per his request to simplify the rituals to reflect his belief that the pope’s role is that of simple pastor, not world leader.
His body faces the pews, surrounded by four Swiss Guards.
The basilica is bathed in a hushed silence as mourners from across the globe make a slow, shuffling procession to see the pope’s body for the three days of public viewing.
The late pope’s funeral has been set for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, where world leaders, including President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, are expected to attend.
With Post Wires