The body of Pope Shenouda III, head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, is displayed for public viewing inside the Abbassiya Cathedral in Cairo 18 March 2012. (Photo: Reuters)
The body of the late Coptic Patriarch will lie in repose for two days in Abbasiya cathedral as thousands of mourners flock to pay their last respects, state news agency MENA reports.
The first mourning prayers at the eastern Cairo cathedral were led on Sunday morning by Bishop Pachomious, who has taken over papal duties for two months.
The body of Pope Shenouda III, who died on Saturday evening, will be dressed in formal robes and remain in the main cathedral until his funeral on Tuesday.
According to his last wishes, the 88 year-old head of the Coptic Orthodox Church will be buried at St. Bishoy monastery in Wadi Natrun, in the Nile Delta region to the north of Cairo.
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