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Tens of thousand pay last respects to Pope

Some half a million mourners have paid their final respects in front of the body of Pope John Paul II, officials estimated, as cardinals reflected on who should now lead the Roman Catholic Church.

As the steady surge of pilgrims continued to flow into St. Peter's Basilica early Wednesday, the Vatican prepared for a funeral tomorrow that will draw a host of world leaders.

Among them, US President George W. Bush, who clashed with the Pope over the US-led war on Iraq two years ago, was due to fly in late Wednesday.

"He shows that one man can make an enormous difference. And I look forward to honoring the memory of Pope John Paul II," Bush said.

The requiem mass is expected to draw about two million mourners, making it the biggest gathering seen in Rome since huge peace demonstrations in protest at the Iraq war.

Italian authorities have stepped up security, deploying thousands of extra security forces and announcing a no-fly zone over the capital.

On Tuesday, the Vatican said John Paul II, who died late Saturday, had left a final testament although cardinals had not opened it yet.

But the focus of attention was on the queues to file past the pontiff as he lies in state, resplendent in red and white vestments.

"There was grace being poured out. It was like a direct channel from heaven to earth," said David De Napoli, a 22-year-old New Yorker.

"Ciao, Papa," three-year-old Francesco Magrin whispered as he blew a kiss, his mother Michela said.

The Vatican said it expected one million mourners to have filed past by the end of Tuesday, although interior ministry calculations of 15,000 to 20,000 an hour would give an estimate of half a million since public viewing began late Monday.

Rome's metro underground rail network said one million people used the line that serves the Vatican during Tuesday, twice the usual amount.

Whatever the case, long queues twisted and turned their way from the banks of the Tiber river into streets surrounding St. Peter's Square, raising waiting times to up to seven hours at one point, according to some mourners.

A dozen mobile medical centers have been set up by the Vatican, Red Cross, Italian hospitals and volunteers working around the clock.
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