In a majestic ceremony that recalled the splendor of the papal past, a solemn procession of cardinals, priests and bishops Monday escorted Pope John Paul II’s body into St. Peter’s Basilica, the first step of his last journey toward his burial place.
Tens of thousands of people, some of whom had waited since dawn, stood in the square, straining for a glimpse of the late pontiff whose death has triggered an outpouring of grief in Italy and across much of the world.
The Vatican announced that the funeral would be held at 10 a.m. Friday (3 a.m. Friday Chicago time) and that John Paul II would be buried in the crypt beneath the basilica, alongside many past popes. The announcement ended speculation that he may have requested to be buried in Poland.
The pope’s body will lie in state until the funeral, on a gold satin bier in front of the basilica’s magnificent altar and above the ancient crypt where he will be laid to rest.
Rome was bracing for an influx of up to 2 million pilgrims who are expected to converge on the Vatican to pay their respects. The funeral will be held outside, on the steps of the church, to allow as many people as possible to attend.
Those preparing to head to Rome include a throng of world leaders, President Bush among them. Britain’s Prince Charles postponed his wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles for a day, which will allow him to attend the funeral.
As preparations began for transporting the body, the crowd outside the basilica grew to its largest since people began congregating in St. Peter’s Square last week amid reports of the pope’s rapidly declining health.
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Pilgrims began lining up at dawn after it was announced that the body would be transferred to the basilica for public display. On Sunday, it had been available for viewing only by Vatican officials and dignitaries inside the adjoining Apostolic Palace, where the pope had lived.
By midday, the throng filled the square and stretched far down the Via della Conciliazione, the broad avenue built by dictator Benito Mussolini that links Rome to this last sliver of sovereign church territory. Police began sealing off the area, preventing new arrivals.
As the setting sun cast shadows across the square, the journey of the pope’s body began–from the residence where he died to the basilica, in a procession filled with medieval pageantry that echoed the power wielded by the papacy in days long past.
First went the seminarians–the trainee priests–dressed in simple black and white. Behind them were the bishops, in rich magenta robes. After the bishops came the cardinals, the princes of the church, in their dramatic scarlet capes and caps.
They were flanked by members of the Swiss Guard, the Vatican’s private army, in uniforms whose style dates back to the Renaissance: red feather-capped steel helmets, puffed sleeves and orange-and-blue-striped satin pantaloons.
Finally, dressed in crimson papal robes and a white satin miter came the late pontiff, borne high by 12 white-gloved pope’s gentlemen, laymen in permanent attendance at the Vatican.
They carried the pope through the throngs across the square, pausing on the steps of the basilica to display his body to the crowd and prompting a round of applause.
“I looked at people gathered there and it was clear there was a great sense of loss but also a great sense of presence,” said Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George, who was in the procession as it filed through the square. “With that sense of presence, there is a sense of peace among the pilgrims who have already come.”
In a cloud of incense and accompanied by the gentle Latin chanting of a choir, the pope’s body was carried into the church. He was illuminated by a glow from spotlights positioned in the dome that glanced off the golden cross on the altar, the golden candlesticks surrounding him and the golden brocade of the churchmen, casting him in a golden aura.
The names of the 482 saints whom John Paul canonized, more than all of his predecessors combined, were chanted one by one. And as the saints’ names were read, the congregation murmured, “Pray for him.”
Nearly three hours later, when doors to the basilica finally were opened to the waiting crowds, a huge cheer went up. “Bravo, John Paul,” chanted the crowd, many of whom had been waiting more than 12 hours to get in. “John Paul, bravo.”
People filed past the body solemnly, some lingering to gaze. Then they retreated to the pews, to pray and pause in solemn contemplation.
“I don’t go to church and I am not a strong Catholic believer,” said Daniele Tulli, 17, who had been in line since 8 a.m. “No matter, I’m glad I did. The pope was the only good person on Earth. He brought peace in this world.”
There were others who said they had paid little attention to the pope in his lifetime but were stirred by his death to pay respects.
“Last week I was watching TV and there was a program about the life of the pope. I saw him as I had never seen him before, as a man with a great sense of humor,” said Sarah D’Angelo, 23. “I’m very sad not to have the possibility to know him better any longer, so I came here for the last, most important farewell.”
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Bush among leaders traveling to Rome
Albania: President Alfred Moisiu, Prime Minister Fatos Nano
Argentina: Vice President Daniel Scioli, Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa
Austria: President Heinz Fischer, Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, parliament Speaker Andreas Khol
Belgium: King Albert II, Queen Paola, Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt
Brazil: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Britain: Prince Charles, Prime Minister Tony Blair
Bulgaria: President Georgi Parvanov
Canada: Prime Minister Paul Martin
Chile: Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker
Colombia: Vice President Francisco Santos
Costa Rica: President Abel Pacheco
Czech Republic: President Vaclav Klaus, Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda
Dominican Republic: First Lady Margarita Cedeno and Ambassador to the Vatican Carlos Rafael Marion-Landais
El Salvador: First Lady Ana Ligia Mixco de Saca, Foreign Minister Francisco Lainez
Estonia: President Arnold Ruutel
Finland: Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen
France: President Jacques Chirac and his wife, Bernadette
Germany: Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, President Horst Koehler
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Guatemala: President Oscar Berger and his wife, Foreign Minister Jorge Briz and Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu
Haiti: Interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue
Hungary: President Ferenc Madl, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany
India: Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Ireland: President Mary McAleese, Prime Minister Bertie Ahern
Latvia: President Vaira Vike-Freiberga
Lebanon: President Emile Lahoud, Prime Minister Omar Karami
Liechtenstein: Prince Hans-Adam II, Princess Marie, Prince Nicholas
Lithuania: President Valdas Adamkus
Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker
Nicaragua: President Enrique Bolanos, Foreign Minister Norman Caldera, Ambassador to the Vatican Armando Luna
Panama: First Lady Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos.
Poland: President Aleksander Kwasniewski and his wife, Prime Minister Marek Belka, former President Lech Walesa
Portugal: European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, President Jorge Sampaio
Romania: President Traian Basescu, Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu
Russia: Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov; Foreign Minister for the Russian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Kirill
Serbia and Montenegro: Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova
Slovakia: President Ivan Gasparovic, parliament Chairman Pavol Hrusovsky
Spain: Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia
Switzerland: President Samuel Schmid
Syria: President Bashar Assad.
United Nations: Secretary General Kofi Annan
United States: President George Bush and his wife, Laura.
Uruguay: First Lady Maria Auxiliadora Delgado de Vazquez
Venezuela: Foreign Relations Minister Ali Rodriguez, Planning Minister Jorge Giordanni
–Associated Press