Vatican halts viewing of pope’s body
The Vatican shut the doors of St Peter’s Basilica tonight, ending four days of visits by pilgrims who streamed past the remains of Pope John Paul II, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
Although civil officials and the Vatican said they had no confirmed count on the number of mourners viewing the body since Monday, it was believed to be close to two million.
Department volunteers, wearing bright yellow vests, were among the last to be allowed inside the basilica before the towering bronze doors were closed.
Over the past four days the volunteers distributed water and helped the pilgrims waiting in line to enter the church, some of them for as long as 24 hours.
Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni shook hands and chatted with John Paul’s private secretary, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, in the final minutes before the doors closed.
The pontiff’s funeral will take place tomorrow.
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