Pope Benedict XVI: Around 200,000 attend lying in state

Almost 200,000 people paid homage to former Pope Benedict XVI during his lying in state over the last three days, the Vatican says.

His body has been sealed in a coffin ahead of his funeral on Thursday.

Pope Francis will preside over the funeral - the first time a sitting Pope has led his predecessor's funeral in over 220 years, the Vatican says.

The former Pope died on New Year's Eve at the age of 95, almost a decade after standing down because of ill-health.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the funeral in St Peter's Square, in front of St Peter's Basilica, at 9:30 local time (8:30 GMT).

The event will be marked by simplicity, in line with what Benedict had asked for, the Vatican says. read more