Rome, Italy, Apr 7, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Four million pilgrims, more than double the number expected, descended on Rome Friday for the Funeral Mass of Pope John Paul II, with the largest delegation coming from the Pope’s homeland of Poland.
Late Thursday night and into Friday morning, while one million Poles participated in an emotional Mass for the eternal rest of the Pope in Krakow (where he was Archbishop), another 600,000 arrived in Italy, many of whom were unable to make it to Rome because of the tight security measures.
Those who were already in Rome lined up early Friday in order to get the first seats in St. Peter’s Square, which was opened to the public at 3:30am, Rome time.
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