Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II's funeral will be held Friday morning, and his remains will be interred in the grotto of St. Peter's Basilica where pontiffs throughout the ages have been laid to rest, the Vatican said.
Under Vatican tradition, Friday is the latest the funeral could have been held. Up to 2 million pilgrims are expected to converge on Rome for the 10 a.m. (4 a.m. EDT) service. The funeral will include pageantry reserved for the highest prince of the church and in the presence of many of the world's secular and religious leaders. President Bush and his wife will be among the dignitaries attending.
John Paul lay in state in the Vatican's frescoed Apostolic Palace, dressed in crimson vestments and a white bishop's miter, his head resting on a stack of gold pillows. A rosary was wound around his hands and a staff was tucked under his left forearm. A Swiss Guard stood on either side as diplomats, politicians and clergy paid their respects at his feet.
John Paul opposed divorce, birth control and abortion, the ordination of women and the lifting of the celibacy requirement for priests. May the next Pope continue in his footsteps.
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