The Pope, who died at 88 on Easter Monday, was placed inside Saint Peter’s Basilica for a three-day lying-in-state. Dressed in red papal robes and a white mitre, he rested in an open coffin on a raised platform. While Vatican officials did release some official images and didn’t ban public photos entirely, a few guards reportedly tried to stop people from taking selfies.
One of the visitors, Janine Venables, 53, from Pontypridd, Wales, told Daily Mail, “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. I did think that was a bit in poor taste and I’m surprised no one stopped them.”
Her husband, Paul Taylor, said “I said to someone in the queue ‘I wonder what Pope Francis would make of all this?’ and they said ‘He would say don’t waste your time here go and do something for people less fortunate’. He was probably right.”
Despite people being asked to stay respectful, photos shared online—including one showing a woman smiling for a selfie with the Pope’s body visible just feet behind her—drew criticism from other mourners.
“It was sad to see such disrespectful behavior,” said one attendee, who mentioned that she and her husband didn’t use their phones at all during the visit.
A Vatican source said, “It would be good if people could try and remember where they are and have a little respect but there's little else that can be done.”
