SAD MOMENT: Pope Francis live updates: Pope Francis lies in state, thousands wait to pay respects

Pope Francis, whose time as head of the Catholic Church was noted for humility and outreach efforts to people of disparate backgrounds and faiths, has died at 88, the Vatican said.

The pontiff’s funeral is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, according to the Vatican. Francis’ death on Monday came after a series of worsening health problems, including a diagnosis of double pneumonia that put him in the hospital for more than a month earlier this year.

Vance says he is ‘not currently planning to attend’ Pope Francis’ funeral
United States Vice President JD Vance told media on Wednesday that he is “not currently planning to attend” the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, but he is “saddened” by his death.

“I was able to see him very briefly the morning of Easter Sunday. I knew he was very ill. I didn’t realize how sick he was,” Vance said. “The thing that I will always remember Pope Francis for is that he was a great pastor. People on the margins, poor people, people suffering from diseases. They saw in Pope Francis an advocate and, I think, a true expression of Christian love.”

Vance acknowledged that Pope Francis and the Trump administration have held disagreements on policy issues in the past but says he was still a “great Christian pastor.”

Pope Francis lies in state as tens of thousands expected to pay their respects
Pope Francis’ coffin has now been moved to St. Peter’s Basilica, just a few hundred yards from the Chapel of Santa Marta, where he will lie in state until his funeral on Saturday.

Tens of thousands are expected to pay their respects over the next several days before he is laid to rest.