ITALY: HOPES OF SEEING THE BODY OF POPE JOHN PAUL II FADE FOR PILGRIMS TRYING TO JOIN THE QUEUE

Record ID: 648674

  • Title: ITALY: HOPES OF SEEING THE BODY OF POPE JOHN PAUL II FADE FOR PILGRIMS TRYING TO JOIN THE QUEUE
  • Date: 7th April 2005
  • Summary: (W5) ROME, ITALY (6 APRIL 2005) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE JOIN OF QUEUES CONTINUING TO ENTER THE BASILICA; PEOPLE MOVING FORWARD IN QUEUE TOWARDS BASILICA (4 SHOTS) 0.21 2. MV POLICE ARRIVING TO PREPARE TO CLOSE THE QUEUES; POLICE STANDING; SLV POLICE CAR ARRIVES TO HELP CLOSE THE QUEUES; SLV POLICE PUTTING FENCES IN PLACE TO STOP THE PEOPLE FROM JOINING THE QUEUE 3. VIEW OF FENCES HOLDING PEOPLE BACK; POLICE IN FRONT OF FENCES; SLV PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND FENCES; POLICE HOLDING PEOPLE BACK BEHIND FENCES 1.20 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN SAYING: "We probably don't have too many chances to go in, but hope is the last thing to lose." 1.26 5. POLICE KEEPING PEOPLE BEHIND FENCES 6. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) IDENTIFIED GIRL SAYING: "I have spent the whole afternoon trying to get here, and now they've closed it." 1.37 7. HAS HUGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND CLOSED FENCES, LONG CORDON OF POLICE HOLDING THEM BACK; FENCE 1.46 8. SLV ST PETER'S WITH SOME OF THE LAST PILGRIMS GOING INTO SAINT PETERS 1.51 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 22nd April 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVA82VOYLN09NEMZMFY9VK41XG98
  • Story Text: Hopes of seeing the Pope's body at St Peter's
    Basilica faded for pilgrims trying to join the queue.

    Italy appealed to pilgrims to stay away from central
    Rome on Wednesday, saying it was already saturated with
    millions of faithful desperate to see Pope John Paul's body
    ahead of Friday's funeral.

    Roman Catholic cardinals called a conclave starting in
    12 days' time to elect a successor to the dead Pontiff as
    city authorities struggled to contain the ocean of people
    surging into Rome for one of the biggest funerals in
    history.

    Security officials had to shut off the huge queue of
    ordinary people who were waiting up to 14 hours to see the
    Pope, and warned that any new pilgrims would not be able to
    reach the church.

    "I have spent the whole afternoon trying to get here,
    and now they've closed it!" complained a girl who was
    refused access to the line as she and her friend tried to
    take a place on it.

    New arrivals, coming in on planes, trains and buses
    from around the world, were urged to make their way to a
    special reception area in the suburbs of Rome.

    The city normally has a population of 3 million but
    around 4 million visitors have flowed in since John Paul's
    death on Saturday, according to police sources.

    As night fell, Rome faced paralysis from the
    unprecedented influx of pilgrims, prompting authorities to
    stop allowing anyone else to join the lines from 10:00 p.m.

    (2000 GMT) almost a day ahead of schedule, so that the
    crowds could pass through St. Peter's Basilica ahead of the
    funeral.

    Around the Vatican, police shut off major streets and
    squares to accommodate the crowds and private cars were
    ordered off the roads to make way for the vast influx of
    mourners, creating a domino-effect of traffic chaos across
    the city.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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