A priest has been slammed for taking selfies with Pope Francis’ body – as the Vatican has been forced to issue a stern warning to mourners. A Brazilian cleric, who has over 115,000 followers on Instagram, has been criticised for sharing selfies and videos of him next to the body of the pontiff.
The cleric shared his distasteful images from the Basilica of St Peter with the caption, “Rest in Peace Pope Francis.” Despite the images and videos being “liked” by followers, the selfies have proven to be controversial. It has even forced the Vatican to remind mourners not to take photos while paying their respects.
A spokesperson for the Vatican told The Times “visitors are not invited to take photos” and a source from the church reminded people “taking pictures is not in the best of taste.”
Thousands of people were distastefully grabbing images and videos of the Pope and were seen consistently seen in the faces of other mourners who were trying to peacefully pay their respects.
Following an outrage from fellow mourners, guards are instructing people to put their phones away once within 30ft or have them confiscated. It means as the faithful now reach the front of the queue, they are viewing Francis in quiet dignity.
It comes after a shocking image posted to Instagram earlier showed a woman smiling into the camera with the Pope lying in his velvet-lined coffin around 10ft behind her.
Others brought selfie sticks to get a better photograph of themselves near the coffin. British mourner Catherine Gilsenan, 59, told Brazilian outlet Globo that she was “very emotional” as she waited in the queue to see Francis’ body – but said it was “awful to see so many people taking photos”.
A higher-than-expected turnout prompted the Vatican to extend the basilica’s opening hours overnight. By Thursday evening, more than 90,000 mourners had filed past Francis’ open coffin placed in front of the basilica’s main altar.
While his predecessors St John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI were placed upon an elevated platform, Francis’s body rests inside a simple coffin raised only a couple of feet from the floor of the basilica.
On Saturday, he will be laid to rest at the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome, resting in a humble grave marked only “Franciscus” as per his own wishes.
Catholic tradition dictates that entombment must happen between day four and six after the passing of a pontiff.
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