The body of Pope Francis is carried into St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, where he will lie in state for three days. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
April 23, 2025 - 10:22 AM
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Emilio Morenatti, chief photographer in Spain for The Associated Press, arrived in St. Peter’s Square before sunrise to wait for Pope Francis’ casket to pass through the crowd and into St. Peter’s Basilica.
As the pallbearers approached with Francis atop their shoulders, the faithful in rows behind, Morenatti used an extendable pole to lift his camera 2 meters (6.6 feet) above and secure the first close-up pictures of Francis during the procession.
As he was shooting these photos, Morenatti heard someone crying behind him. Without moving from his spot, he turned to find a nun with her eyes flooded with tears, and took her picture.
She explained the depth of her grief over Pope Francis’ passing: “He was everything to me.”
News from © The Associated Press, 2025