Friday, April 08, 2005
Who's going
The Americans were taken straight to the basilica on arrival in Rome. They will attend the Pope's funeral tomorrow, the first time a serving American president has attended such a ceremony. When Mr Bush came to Rome last June, John Paul II, a vigorous opponent of the war in Iraq, scolded the US president for the "grave unrest" in that country.
At the funeral Mr Bush will find himself seated close to President Khatami of the "Axis of Evil" state Iran. That two such diverse leaders should be obliged to share the same space is one indication of the huge pull of this funeral.
The elaborate funeral rites will draw the biggest gathering of the powerful and the humble in modern times. Four kings, five queens, at least 70 presidents and prime ministers and more than 14 leaders of other religions will attend. Some of the dignitaries meet rarely, if ever, a fitting tribute to a Pope who spoke out for world peace.
The American delegation arrived at the basilica at 9pm BST, just as police were stopping any further people from joining the queue to view the Pope's body, which winds for more than a kilometre. More than a million people have already seen the body, many of them waiting more than 12 hours.
"The city centre cannot take the arrival of any more faithful," said Guido Bertolaso, head of crowd control. "Anyone arriving tonight or tomorrow will have no possibility of following the funeral at St. Peter's."
At the funeral Mr Bush will find himself seated close to President Khatami of the "Axis of Evil" state Iran. That two such diverse leaders should be obliged to share the same space is one indication of the huge pull of this funeral.
The elaborate funeral rites will draw the biggest gathering of the powerful and the humble in modern times. Four kings, five queens, at least 70 presidents and prime ministers and more than 14 leaders of other religions will attend. Some of the dignitaries meet rarely, if ever, a fitting tribute to a Pope who spoke out for world peace.
The American delegation arrived at the basilica at 9pm BST, just as police were stopping any further people from joining the queue to view the Pope's body, which winds for more than a kilometre. More than a million people have already seen the body, many of them waiting more than 12 hours.
"The city centre cannot take the arrival of any more faithful," said Guido Bertolaso, head of crowd control. "Anyone arriving tonight or tomorrow will have no possibility of following the funeral at St. Peter's."
