Human tide pays last respects to Pope

VATICAN CITY - A swelling, ceaseless tide of faithful streamed past Pope John Paul's body in a day and night vigil that will culminate on Friday in the biggest funeral in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.

Secluded from the sea of humanity, the cardinals temporarily running the Church met for a second day to discuss the elaborate funeral rites and the eventual election of a successor.

The crowds stretched as far as the eye could see, pouring up the broad boulevard that leads to St. Peter's Square and into the basilica, where John Paul's crimson-robed body lay bathed in light, as visible and popular in death as he was in life.

The Vatican said up to 18,000 people an hour were filing past the cream bier, with the total for Monday and Tuesday reaching 1 million and a further 600,000 expected on Wednesday.

"It's a beautiful experience to be here and see how many people have come to bear witness to the passing of this great Pope," said 21-year-old Caterina Avantagiato, who had travelled up to Rome on a night train from her village in southern Italy.

The cardinals decided that the vaulted basilica should stay open until Thursday night, when the Pope's body would be removed from the bier and laid in a plain cypress wood coffin for Friday's funeral.

The funeral rites will last three hours and will draw together kings, presidents and prime ministers, briefly united in mourning for the world's best known religious leader.

Up to 2 million faithful are expected for the service in an unprecedented salute for a man who helped bring down the Iron Curtain, travelled the world to spread his message and alienated some with his uncompromising orthodoxy.

Amidst the roar of praise, some dissenting voices stood out, accusing the late Pope of destroying democracy in the Church and alienating many with his rigid moral values.

"The Polish Pope's internal policies were devastating," said Roman Catholicism's leading rebel theologian Hans Kueng, accusing John Paul of bequeathing his Church a "dead hand."

CONCLAVE

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said 91 of the church's 183 cardinals met in the Vatican on Tuesday. Only those cardinals under 80 years of age -- 117 in all -- will be admitted to the secretive conclave to elect a new pope.

The cardinals have yet to set a date for the beginning of the conclave, which must start between 15 and 20 days following John Paul's death.

Archbishop Piero Marini, the Vatican master of ceremonies, told reporters that besides the customary puff of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel, the bells of St. Peter's will also ring out when a pope is chosen, to avoid any confusion.

At a 1978 conclave, the smoke signal system did not work properly and watchers were confused because the smoke was neither black -- signifying no result -- nor white but gray.

Before the secrecy of the conclave descends, some cardinals are speaking openly about the sort of pope they want.

Some hinted they would welcome a pontiff from the developing world. Others said the next leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics should be a doctrinal conservative like John Paul.

"Perhaps the best way to sum it up: we need another John Paul," said Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of South Africa.

"A people's pope, one who's especially got an appeal and a challenge for the youth."

Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson said he thought an African might be picked, but Cardinal Bernard Agre of Ivory Coast said: "Psychologically and spiritually the West isn't ready to welcome a black pope."

Polish Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski appeared to pour cold water on the chances of one top cardinal, 77-year-old Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, saying: "The problem is his advanced age."

BURIAL

The Vatican announced on Tuesday that John Paul will be buried under the spot once occupied by the tomb of Pope John XXIII, dubbed "The Good Pope," in a crypt beneath St. Peter's.

Many voices have already been raised for the Polish Pontiff to be called "John Paul the Great" in recognition of a papacy that made him one of the world's dominating figures of his time.

But the unstinting praise angered some, notably in France, where critics accused the government of riding rough shod over the state's commitment to secularism by ordering that flags be flown at half-mast in honour of the dead Pope.

"For five days there has been a hagiography about the sovereign Pontiff without any critical spirit," said Jean-Luc Melenchon, a Socialist senator.

Such doubts were not to be heard on the crammed streets surrounding the Vatican where crowds continued to press toward St Peter's, carrying flags, crosses, pictures of John Paul and umbrellas to protect them from the sun.

Local authorities sent out SMS messages to the mobile phones of people heading to Rome telling them it was hot during the day, cold at night and warning them of "very long queues."

"These sacrifices that we are making now are nothing compared to what he deserves," said Gino d'Anna, who came to Rome from southern Naples with his wife Maria and has been waiting in the queue for seven hours. "I would not have done this if you had given me 100,000 euros."

Gearing up for the unprecedented influx of pilgrims and presidents, Rome is erecting a defence shield that will include anti-aircraft missiles and a no-fly zone to block all flights over the city from Thursday.

World leaders planning to attend the funeral range from President Bush to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian President Mohammad Khatami.

One person who will not be present is Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turk who almost killed the Pope in a 1981 assassination bid but was later forgiven by him. Turkish authorities rejected Agca's request to leave prison and go to the funeral.

- REUTERS