Funeral of pope begins
2005-04-08 10:30
Vatican City - Presidents, prime ministers and kings from around the world joined hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, prelates and religious leaders in paying a final farewell on Friday to Pope John Paul II for a funeral capping one of the largest religious gatherings in the West in modern times.
Applause rang out in St Peter's Square as John Paul's simple wooden coffin, adorned with a cross and the "M" for Mary, was brought out into the square from St Peter's Basilica and placed on a carpet on the ground in front of the altar.
Prelates placed a copy of the Gospel on the coffin as a choir sang the Gregorian chant "Grant him Eternal rest o Lord" and the service got under way.
Cardinals wearing white miters processed out onto the square, the wind whipping their red vestments and the pages of the Gospel.
Groggy pilgrims who had camped out on the cobblestones awoke in their sleeping bags to hordes of the faithful stepping over them as they tried to secure a good spot to view the Mass. The square and the boulevard leading to it were a sea of red and white flags waved by pilgrims from John Paul's beloved Poland, many in traditional dress shouting "Polska! Polska!"
"We just wanted to say goodbye to our father for the last time," said Joanna Zmijewsla, 24, who travelled for 30 hours with her brother Szymon from a town near Kielce, Poland, and arrived at St Peter's at 01:00 on Friday.
Before the Mass began, American Archbishop James Harvey, head of papal protocol, greeted black-clad dignitaries and religious leaders as they emerged from St Peter's Basilica onto the steps. Many of the officials shook Harvey's hand and offered condolences before mingling and taking their appointed seats.
Turbans, fezzes, yarmulkes, black lace veils, or mantillas, joined the zucchettos or skull caps of Catholic prelates in an extraordinary mix of religious and government leaders from around the world.
"I'm here because I'm a believer but also to live a moment in history," said Stephan Aubert, wearing a French flag draped over his shoulders.
Bells tolled as the final leaders took their places on red-cushioned wooden seats. Ten minutes before the scheduled start of the funeral, the US delegation arrived, headed by President George W Bush and including his father, former President George HW Bush, and former President Bill Clinton.
- AP