Francis' funeral to be grand farewell to 'pope of the poor'

Mourners thronged the Vatican and the streets of Rome on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis, champion of the poor and the Catholic Church's first Latin American leader, which will be attended by world leaders and tens of thousands of faithful.

Some of the mourners waited overnight for a place and rushed into St Peter's Square when the metal barriers were opened at 6:00 a.m. (0400 GMT).

The Argentine pontiff, who died on Monday aged 88, sought to steer the centuries-old Church into a more inclusive direction during his 12-year papacy -- attested by the 250,000 people who paid their respects before his coffin during its three days of lying in state.

"He was not just the Pope, he was what definition of being human is," said Andrea Ugalde, 39, who flew from Los Angeles to attend Saturday's mass.

U.S. President Donald Trump is among more than 50 heads of state due for the ceremony set to start at 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT).

Crowds of 200,000 people are expected for the funeral, for which Italian and Vatican authorities have mounted a major security operation.

A no-fly zone is in place, fighter jets are on standby, and snipers will be positioned on roofs surrounding the tiny city-state.

Volunteers with walkie-talkies instructed people entering the plaza to slow down as they went through metal detectors. Within an hour after opening the plaza, public seats were mostly filled.

"We spent the whole night here in the car with the children," said Peruvian Gabriela Lazo, 41.

"We are very sorry for what happened to him because we carry a South American Pope in our hearts."

The funeral sets off the first of nine days of official Vatican mourning for Francis, who took over following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013.

After the mourning, cardinals will gather for the conclave to elect a new pope to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

AFP