A look at the ramped up security measures at Vatican City ahead of Pope Francis' funeral
In order to keep an age-old tradition safe in a modern world, security has been raised to an unprecedented level.
VATICAN CITY (KABC) -- Thousands of people have visited St. Peter's Square since Wednesday morning to pay homage to Pope Francis.
Pope Francis' coffin has now been moved to St. Peter's Basilica where he will lie in state until his funeral on Saturday. Tens of thousands are expected to pay their respects over the next several days before he is laid to rest.
The public mourning period presents a major security challenge: how to accommodate all the people who want to see the pope - and at the same time - keep them safe.
WATCH: Thousands from around the world wait hours to pay their respects to Pope Francis
In order to keep an age-old tradition safe in a modern world, security has been raised to an unprecedented level. It's no longer the papal transitions of the past when people could simply stroll into the square and enjoy the atmosphere. Now there's barriers and metal detectors.
Police carry a specially designed gun to shoot down drones. If a spotter locates a drone, the gun fires radio-jamming frequencies - either knocking it out of the sky or sending it back to where it started.
In a new world of warfare, drones pose a much more sinister threat and potentially carry explosives. Now a new generation of weapons have been designed to counteract the drone - some are being designed in Southern California.
In the film "Conclave," which centers on the death of a pope and the election of a new one, a fictional explosive attack was portrayed in the movie. That was Hollywood movie-making magic - and the stepped up security measures at the Vatican want to keep it that way.
ABC News contributed to this report.