More than 20,000 mourners formed eight-hour queues at the Vatican as they waited to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis today.

St. Peter’s Basilica was opened to the public to say their final goodbyes to Francis as he lay in state for the next three days.

Thousands of people flooded the central aisle of the basilica, with some seen crying and others taking a moment for prayer as they passed the pontiff’s open coffin.

Worshippers recalled waiting five hours just to enter St. Peter’s and said they then had to queue for another hour once inside the basilica, NBC News reports.

Tens of thousands of people are currently queuing in three lines, but mourners say the queues are moving ‘fairly quickly’ as people usher out after paying their respects.

One woman told the news outlet that her final goodbye was brief, sharing how she just simply blew a kiss towards the pontiff’s open casket.

But Vatican sources told Sky News that the queue is currently taking eight hours to get through, meaning St. Peter’s could close at midnight before mourners in the back may get a chance to pay their respects.

The timeframe for pilgrims to visit the pope’s body may be extended until beyond midnight today due to the large number of visitors, the Vatican said in a statement.

The basilica will reopen at 7am tomorrow and remain open until at least midnight to allow as many people as possible to file past. The final day of lying in state will end at 7pm so that St. Peter’s can be prepared for Francis’ funeral mass on Saturday.

Over the coming days, tens of thousands of people are expected to pass through the basilica to see Francis lie in state and at least 200,000 people are expected to attend the outdoor funeral service on Saturday.