Vatican releases pictures of Pope Francis' tomb, as it opens for public viewing

LONDON and ROME -- The Vatican released photos of the tomb of Pope Francis, who was buried on Saturday in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.

The release came Sunday morning, as the tomb opened for public viewing. More than 13,000 people filed into the basilica to view the tomb on Sunday, with several thousand more waiting outside, the Italian news agency ANSA reported, citing the police.

All the cardinals in Rome are expected to visit the tomb to pay their respects on Sunday afternoon, according to the Vatican.

The cardinals are expected to pass through the Holy Door, visit the tomb, then proceed to the chapel where the Salus Populi Romani, an image of the Virgin Mary, is displayed.

Francis reportedly would pray before that Byzantine-style icon of the Madonna before and after each of his foreign trips during his 12 years as pope.

Francis, who died last Monday at the age of 88, became on Saturday the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in over a century. He was the first to be buried at St. Mary Major in more than 300 years.