Vatican City eyewitnesses

Twelve hours for a brief glimpse
I was privileged to be among the hundreds of thousands of people who stood in line for 12 hours on Tuesday evening to view the Pope's body in St. Peter's Basilica.  It was an arduous pilgrimage with well-mannered and determined people of all ages, languages and states of life. It all ended with just a few seconds to view John Paul's mortal remains, which showed the signs of his suffering and human fragility. It was shocking to see that his body in death bore little relation to the greatness of his stature in life.  I had the opportunity to see him and speak a few words to him on two occasions in my life.  He was then, as always, simply a warm and great human being.  May he rest in peace with God and may the world continue to enjoy the spiritual energy for Christ that he was always committed to communicating.
--Fr. Robert Rossi, O.S.C., Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Happy to see him in peace
I attend Loyola University's Rome Center. It was tragic to hear that the Pope passed away. All my fellow students wanted to go to St. Peter's to pay our respects. We decided to go late Monday night because we assumed that not many people had arrived yet to form large lines. We knew that St. Peter's closed at 2 a.m. and wouldn't open until 5 a.m., so we decided that we would leave around 3 a.m.. The line wasn't that long.

It was a very somber time amongst all those in line. We were not too far down from the square. We could hear the speakers announcing prayers in all different languages. It was somewhat tiring but I didn't want to give up. I was determined to pay my respects to such a great man! The line moved quickly but after walking from school to St. Peter's I was overly tired. I stayed focused, especially when I saw people from all over, all different ages there to show their support. I just kept walking and one of my friends started to sing a religious song and people were praying and clapping and we all felt like a big family.

Though I am not religious, it was truly touching to see how one man has brought so many people from all over the world to Rome. As you get closer to the steps and you see the screens and the little memorials people put together, it just warms your heart that he was truly loved by all people.

It was quick down the aisle and that moment you see the Pope's body, you just start to cry because you realize he is finally in peace. I kept walking but I felt the tears pouring down because I was happy to see him in peace. He looked very calming and I know that he knows that a lot of people in this world love him and will never forget him.

As I walked towards the exit, I just turned around and not pray but just asked for peace for my family and friends, especially those in Iraq. I guess I asked for some peace and protection for my uncle who was in Iraq but was seriously injured and has been in and out of surgeries. So before I headed back to take the bus back to school  -- I had to turn in an important paper for class -- I just took some time to ask for some help for those I cared for and said my last good byes to Pope John Paul II, whom to me will never be forgotten!
--Virginia Chaves, Modena, Pa./Rome

An atmosphere of memoriam
I was in St. Peter's Square on Sunday evening about 20 hours after the Pope's passing. At this point, the square was not packed like it had been earlier. When I arrived, there were great masses gathered in groups around the square, though there was plenty of room to walk around.

Large groups of people were marching into the square from different entrances, hoisting flags in the air of their native countries and singing songs. Groups gathered in the square and prayed together, sang together, or either gathered around individuals who sang solo. Perhaps the most memorable group was a mass of teens and young twenty-somethings, arms locked together, encircling, and dancing around a group who was singing and playing guitars.

Around the fountains, lampposts, and even on barricades in the square, candles, flowers, notes, and photos had been placed.

While there were some tear-filled eyes in the masses, as a general consensus, the atmosphere was not one of sadness, but of just memoriam. Everyone there it seemed had just come to talk about the Pope, his passing, and to feel the connection with others that the Pope seemed to have a legacy of creating. I think the fact that everyone knew it was coming had taken the immediate sadness away and people simply wanted to be a part of something great, to absorb greatness from the Pope, even in his death.

I returned again on Monday afternoon, but at this point, the Vatican was packed with people. Overnight or either through the morning, the police had set up barricades and closed off the square to immediate pedestrian access to organize the masses for viewing his body. People were pressed in chest to back with one another. Though it wasn't a hot day, it was sweltering in the close proximity with all of the other people. I turned back and did not enter the Basilica to view his body.
--Derick Strode, Villa Hills, Ky.

I was at the Vatican the day before the Pope passed away. We were there on a business trip and I wanted to stand in St. Peter's Square looking up at the window where the Pope addressed his people on many occasions. It was very, very emotional to know that the Pope was ill, and when I heard the bells toll in St. Peter's Square I felt in my heart that something bad was going to happen. The security guards at the Square were all somber faced. Sad. The whole mood in Rome that day was calm, but as the reports came out that the Pope had a high fever I knew that I was going to experience this sad event, and I was very fortunate to be there (at the Vatican) to pay my respects. I cried, I was emotional and thankful to have the opportunity to "say goodbye" in Rome. I felt that this was one man who everyone looked up to in some way. I just recently lost my father who was my best friend and I can honestly say that I felt as moved by the Pope's passing as I did my own father. I hope he rests in peace and he finally gets to be with the father he so well respected and worked for. I am sad that he passed on, and I hope that his message gets passed on by whoever takes his place. We all need someone like Pope John Paul II to guide us through as we struggle with the state of the world today.

-- Kim Tanner, Toronto, Ont. Canada

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