UPDATE: |Married couple who met during papal visit 40 years ago describe ‘surreal’ moment they saw Pope Francis’ remains News

The retired pair from Ireland were among some 20,000 people who queued to pay their respects overnight

A couple who first met at a papal event 40 years ago have described the moment they saw Pope Francis’ remains on display in St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

The pontiff, who died on Monday after suffering a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure, is currently lying in state in the Vatican with thousands of mourners queuing to pay their respects.

Two of those mourners on the first day of Francis’ wake included a retired couple from Ireland who met while attending Pope John Paul II’s visit to Dublin in 1979.

Patrick and Alice Gavigan, from Leixlip, Co. Kildare, booked a trip to Rome last year to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

Little did they know that planned holiday would coincide with the passing of a man known as ‘The People’s Pope’.

Mr Gavigan, a retired prison governor originally from Longford, said: “We met for the first time ever in the Phoenix Park when John Paul II visited Ireland, and we’re married.

“And 40 years later we decided to come to Rome to see the current pope, whom we had seen in Knock (in 2018).”

“But lo and behold he didn’t stick around for our visit,” he added. “We thought we were coming for a party (in their wedding anniversary year) but alas it’s not a party, it’s a mourning.”

The 88-year-old, who died on Easter Monday, will be remembered for advocating for the poor and those in need in his lifetime.

Since his remains were transferred to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning, more than 50,000 mourners have stood patiently in line for hours to catch a glimpse of the Argentinian native’s remains.

Thousands more are expected to flock to pay their respects throughout Thursday and until 7pm local time on Friday.

Large crowds are also expected for Saturday’s funeral in St Peter’s Square, where the pontiff will be laid to rest.

The married pair, who share two daughters, described the nearly four-hour queue to enter the basilica as “well worth it”.

“Truly once in a lifetime,” said Mr Gavigan. “I’m so happy we’ve done that. Looking up there now at the dome, it’s hard to believe that Pope Francis is waking there.

“Having seen Pope Francis when he visited Ireland in 2018 – we went to Knock to see him – we felt coming here now that he is no longer with us and going to his wake was just surreal really. To see him alive and see him now in death.”

Mrs Gavigan, a retired Health Service Executive (HSE) worker originally from Co Mayo, added that the atmosphere amongst the crowds was a warm and friendly one.

“It was very quiet and sombre (in the basilica), but everyone was in good form and chatting to each other in the queue.”

She added: “It was long but it was well worth it in the end, just to go in to see him.”

The Prince of Wales, a future head of the Church of England, will be attending Saturday’s funeral ceremony on the King’s behalf.

Prince William’s representation of the Royal Family in Rome will be seen as a major milestone in his role as a global statesman and future king.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will also be there, alongside other global leaders and dignitaries including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney.