Thousands of Copts have arrived at Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Abbasseya on Tuesday for the funeral of Pope Shenouda III, who died Saturday after a long struggle with disease.

Citizens and public figures attended the mass, which was scheduled to run from 10 to 11 am. An earlier mass, attended only by priests, was held at 5 am.

After the late morning mass, a military aircraft will transport Shenouda’s body to the fourth century monastery in Wadi al-Natrun, located in the Nile Delta, where Shenouda had asked to be buried.

Before 10 am, hundreds of people had already gathered outside the entrance of the cathedral in an attempt to get in — some had official invitations from the church — but the door was closed. Military and riot police formed a cordon nearby.

Prayers began shortly after 10 am. Thousands of people gathered outside the cathedral to watch the mass on a large screen set up by the church.

“I don’t know who can replace him, he saw everything. But it will be God’s choice,” said Erian Gad, 60, who traveled from Suez with his wife to attend the funeral mass.

“I haven’t absorbed his death yet,” said a woman who traveled from Qena, which is about 600 km away.

The mourners all display a great affection for the late pope.

“He was my father, my life, my love,” Enad Zaghloul, an elderly woman from Cairo, said while weeping. “I’m afraid of the future. We’re living in difficult times.”

She said to herself through her tears: “May the joy, O the sky, be with you, Father.”

Amid an “unprecedented” security plan, police and army forces only allowed a limited number of Copts and some public figures with special invitations to attend the funeral on Monday.

Members of Egypt’s ruling military council and members of the Millet Council — a 24-member secular body in charge of the Coptic Orthodox Church’s administrative affairs — as well as an assortment of political figures and members of Parliament took the front seats.

Among presidential hopefuls in attendance were Amr Moussa, Hamdeen Sabbahi, Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, Ahmed Shafiq and Hesham al-Bastawisi. In addition, prominent Coptic businessman and politician Naguib Sawiris, artist Hany Ramzy, Egyptian Social Democratic Party MP Zyad Elelaimy and activist John Talaat attended.

Some visitors reportedly suffered from breathing problems after scrambling to sit in the front row for the mass.