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Catholic World News News Feature

Mourners pay John Paul II their last respects April 05, 2005

More than 500,000 people have filed past by the body of Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Basilica during the first day of public veneration. Many thousands of people are still arriving to join the long line of mourners paying their final respects to the deceased Pontiff.

By Monday night, the line of mourners snaked its way around St. Peter's Square, out into the Via della Conciliazione, and down nearly to the Tiber. During the night, which was seasonably cool, many younger people slept on the sidewalks to save their places in the line. Others remained standing, shuffling and talking to each other to stay awake through the night.

Crowd-control barriers maintain the lines, but the mourners have been quiet and peaceful, offering no trouble for security officials. From time to time young people take up a chant, repeating "Giovanni Paolo," and clapping out the rhythm of the late Pope's name.

Polish flags are much in evidence in the line, although the vast majority of mourners are clearly Italian. Many people carry portraits of John Paul II; others bear home-made signs. "You taught us how to live and how to die; thank you," reads one sign. Another prays, "Karol, intercede for us." And in an evident reference to the coming World Youth Day celebration in August, one sign in German reads: "We'll be in Cologne, and you will be there with us."

As the line slowly progresses toward the Vatican basilica, the mourners are invited to join in the prayers that are being led, over loudspeakers, by Vatican Radio announcers, who are alternating among several different languages. Giant video screens set up along the Via della Conciliazione and in St. Peter's Square carry old images of John Paul II from the earlier days of his pontificate.

Once inside St. Peter's Basilica, the mourners encounter a reverent silence. The line moves steadily past the catafalque on which the Pope's body lies; each mourner passes in just a few seconds. Vatican security officials are vigilant to ensure that no one stops or kneels to slow down the line.

Many of the mourners are in tears as they pass along, looking back to catch a last glimpse of the beloved Pontiff before they pass beyond view. Many carry small cameras, or cell phones that can take digital images, to preserve their memory of the Pope.

Around the Pope's body there are several kneelers, where bishops and priests pray in silence. These clerics take turns in attendance-- as do the four members of the Swiss Guard who are posted around the catafalque.

The public veneration of the Pope's remains will continue until just before his funeral on Friday morning, April 8.