The day before he died, in his final public address, Pope Francis expressed an Easter Sunday message of unity and an appeal for the marginalized and migrants. “All of us,” he proclaimed, "are children of God!

Pope Francis began his papacy in 2013 during the Obama administration, but former President Barack Obama is not planning to attend, according to a spokesman.

Francis did away with that sort of viewing. Instead, a procession brought his coffin on Wednesday directly to St. Peter’s Basilica, where a public viewing is taking place. Francis’ body, dressed in papal vestments, his head covered with a white bishop’s miter, is lying in state to allow tens of thousands of mourners to bid farewell.