PHOTO COLLECTION: Vatican Pope Francis Lying in State

News

PHOTO COLLECTION: Vatican Pope Francis Lying in State

2025-04-24 23:17 Last Updated At：23:22

This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors.

Click to Gallery

People line up to enter St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

People walk along Via della Conciliazione avenue to line up to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, seen in the background, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

People line up to enter St. Peter's Basilica and pay their respect to the late Pope Francis, at the Vatican, Thursday April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

People line up as they enter St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A volunteer observes people waiting in line under the rain to enter St.Peter's Basilica to view Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Pope Francis lies in state inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Nuns leave after entering the St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Faithful pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

People line up as they enter St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Faithful pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Clouds over St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Thursday April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

People queue to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter's Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

People queue to pay their respect to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter's Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

The body of late Pope Francis is carried in an open coffin through St. Peter's Square to St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, where the deceased pontiff will lie in state for three days. (Vatican Media via AP)

The body of late Pope Francis is exposed inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, where the deceased pontiff will lie in state for three days. (Vatican Media via AP)

Faithful line up to pay their respects to Pope Francis inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, where his body will lie in state for three days. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Faithful at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Faithful are channeled in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People wait behind a Police line in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

A woman sits in St. Peter's Square as people wait to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter's Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Faithful gather in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People line up next to St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Faithful gather in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A man takes a picture of St. Peter's Basilica as faithful gather in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People line up next to St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

A chorus of people sing religious songs near St. Peter's Square to enter the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People stand in line as they wait to enter St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

People wait in line to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People wait in line to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

People line up to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People look at booklets as they wait in line to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

A group of four nuns, center left, wait in line with other people to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People line up to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People wait in line to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Nuns walk towards St. Peter's Baslica where Pope Francis is lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

A nun reads a book as she waits in line with others to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People stand in line as they wait to enter St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

People wait in line in St. Peter's Square to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A faithful holds up a statue as she waits in line to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People wait in line under the rain to enter St.Peter's Basilica to view Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A faithful holds a rosary while waiting in line to enter St.Peter's Basilica to view Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Carabinieri paramilitary police patrol St. Peter's Square as people line up to enter St. Peter's Basilica where Pope Francis is lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A photo of the late Pope Francis is printed on a bag on sale at a souvenir shop outside the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

A man uses his photo to capture images as he waits in line with other to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

More Images

People line up to enter St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

People walk along Via della Conciliazione avenue to line up to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, seen in the background, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

People line up to enter St. Peter's Basilica and pay their respect to the late Pope Francis, at the Vatican, Thursday April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

People line up as they enter St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A volunteer observes people waiting in line under the rain to enter St.Peter's Basilica to view Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Pope Francis lies in state inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Nuns leave after entering the St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Faithful pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

People line up as they enter St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Faithful pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Clouds over St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Thursday April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

People queue to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter's Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

People queue to pay their respect to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter's Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

The body of late Pope Francis is carried in an open coffin through St. Peter's Square to St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, where the deceased pontiff will lie in state for three days. (Vatican Media via AP)

The body of late Pope Francis is exposed inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, where the deceased pontiff will lie in state for three days. (Vatican Media via AP)

Faithful line up to pay their respects to Pope Francis inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, where his body will lie in state for three days. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Faithful at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Faithful are channeled in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People wait behind a Police line in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

A woman sits in St. Peter's Square as people wait to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter's Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Faithful gather in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People line up next to St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Faithful gather in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A man takes a picture of St. Peter's Basilica as faithful gather in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People line up next to St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025 as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

A chorus of people sing religious songs near St. Peter's Square to enter the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, as the body of the late Pope Francis will lie in state inside St. Peter's Basilica for three days. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People stand in line as they wait to enter St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

People wait in line to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People wait in line to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

People line up to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People look at booklets as they wait in line to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

A group of four nuns, center left, wait in line with other people to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People line up to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People wait in line to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Nuns walk towards St. Peter's Baslica where Pope Francis is lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

A nun reads a book as she waits in line with others to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

People stand in line as they wait to enter St. Peter's Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

People wait in line in St. Peter's Square to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A faithful holds up a statue as she waits in line to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People wait in line under the rain to enter St.Peter's Basilica to view Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A faithful holds a rosary while waiting in line to enter St.Peter's Basilica to view Pope Francis lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Carabinieri paramilitary police patrol St. Peter's Square as people line up to enter St. Peter's Basilica where Pope Francis is lying in state, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A photo of the late Pope Francis is printed on a bag on sale at a souvenir shop outside the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

A man uses his photo to capture images as he waits in line with other to view Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Has figure skating reached the limits of human performance?

It was at a relatively minor event in upstate New York in September 2022 that Ilia Malinin, the self-anointed “Quad God" who was fast becoming the biggest name in figure skating, finally landed the jump that so many people had thought impossible.

Others had tried quad axels in competition over the years. All of them had fallen. That extra 180 degrees of rotation — necessary for the only jump in skating that starts with a forward-facing entry — proved to be a half-revolution too much.

So when Malinin landed it inside the arena made famous by the U.S. hockey team's upset of the Soviets at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, it not only sent shockwaves through the tight-knit skating community but made headlines around the world.

“My mind was just blown,” said two-time Olympic skater Jason Brown.

Yet by conquering the gravity-defying jump, Malinin also raised an important question: What comes next?

The six main jumps in figure skating have been standard since the early 1900s. The only difference between then and now is the number of revolutions. Dick Button landed the first double axel in 1948, and the first triple jump four years later. Kurt Browning landed the first quad, a toe loop, in 1988, and it was 10 years before Timothy Goebel landed the first quad salchow.

By landing the quad axel, Malinin may have maxed out the boundaries of human performance. Most sports scientists agree that the speed and amplitude necessary for five-revolution jumps truly is impossible, leaving figure skating at a crossroads, where a dearth of innovation threatens to take the shine off a sport already fighting to maintain popularity.

“I think it's kind of natural that we were going to get to this point,” said Malinin, the overwhelming favorite to win gold for the U.S. at the Milan Cortina Olympics. "But I haven't reached my top, whether it's in the technical and how much I can jump and spin, but also in the creativity.”

Malinin, 20, points to his signature “raspberry twist,” a somersaulting spin unlike anything that anybody else does. He created it himself, and it tends to bring down the house whenever he throws it down near the end of his programs.

Yet the flashy maneuver also underscores one of the inherent problems with trying to be creative: It doesn't get rewarded.

The International Skating Union has rigid requirements for both short programs and free skates, and it rarely pays off to deviate too far from the script. Malinin might not get a lot of extra points for landing his raspberry twist, for example, since it is not one of the six standard figure skating jumps, but a failure to land it could cost him dearly.

“Absolutely, there are a lot of things I've wanted to try,” Malinin told The Associated Press, “because I think it would be really cool and appealing. But it's a bigger risk for the program itself, and the system and scoring means it doesn't make sense.”

In other words, what's the point in trying to innovate?

“There are so many rules in your programs that you don't have too much wiggle room,” said Alysa Liu, the reigning world champion. “A lot of these rules really restrict us. Like, all of our spins look the same now, but they could look so different."

“One of my training mates, Sonja Himler, does these incredible programs," added Amber Glenn, a three-time U.S. champion, and along with Liu one of the favorites to win Olympic gold for the American team in February.

“Like, she spins the other way, jumps the other way — really cool things that, you know, someone who's watched a little bit of skating will be like, ‘Oh, I’ve never seen that before,'” Glenn said. “Whereas if I go and do, you know, the norm, and do it well, versus what she does, my scores will be better, even though what she does is way more impressive, in my opinion.”

Justin Dillon, the manager of high performance at U.S. Figure Skating, acknowledged having had hard conversations with some skaters about their programs. They may have planned something unique or interesting, but the risk wouldn't be worth the reward.

“I encourage individuality, and bringing it to the ice,” Dillon said, “but if they do something so avant-garde that it doesn't check those boxes, then it really doesn't serve them. It doesn't always mean throw it out, but what can we do to make it a home run?”

To its credit, figure skating's governing body has loosened some restrictions in recent years. The backflip, which was long banned in competition because of its inherent danger, is allowed now, though it also doesn't carry a whole lot of scoring weight.

Is that hold-your-breath element of risk and uncertainty the next big step in skating?

“I mean, you're cringing. It legit scares me," Glenn said of the backflip. “If you can do it, great. I think it's so fun. I want to learn it once I'm done competing. But the thought of practicing it in like, a warmup or in training, it just scares me.”

Brown has never been able to consistently land quad jumps in competition. Instead, he relies on near-perfect execution of triple jumps, along with arguably the best artistry in figure skating, to consistently challenge for podium placements in major competitions.

Maybe, Brown mused, the next innovation in figure skating has nothing to do with extreme feats of athletic ability.

“I have so much respect for the ways in which people are pushing the sport technically,” he said, "but I think the more that people fixate on executing an element, the less risk people take artistically, because they’re already taking these risks technically. And it is very hard to do both. So maybe the next step for figure skating is to reward the story we're trying to tell."

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics