By VOA News
04 April 2005
 

Pope John Paul II's body is displayed in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican's Apostolic Palace in this image taken from television

Roman Catholic cardinals have met at the Vatican to finalize arrangements for Pope John Paul's funeral on Friday, and to review any last requests the pontiff may have made before his death Saturday.

There has been no formal announcement yet about results of the cardinals' discussions, which were conducted in strict secrecy, but Vatican sources say the funeral will be held on Friday morning at 10 a.m., local time (0800 UTC).

During their two-and-one-half-hour meeting Monday in a grand hall of the Apostolic Palace, which includes the papal apartments, members of the college of cardinals also were to examine any final documents John Paul may have prepared for them.

Speculative news reports in Rome had suggested the Polish-born pope might have planned to be buried in his homeland, rather than in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica, where most previous pontiffs have been laid to rest. However, several senior church figures say John Paul always intended to be interred in the Vatican. The huge basilica is built on the site believed to be the grave of the founder of the Roman Catholic church, Jesus' senior apostle, St. Peter.

Later Monday, a solemn procession will carry the pope's body into St. Peter's from the Apostolic Palace, where he lived and died. Hundreds of thousands of mourners will file past the bier during the coming hours and days.

Church officials expect about 100 heads of state to attend the pope's funeral. The Vatican and the Italian government are preparing tight security for an expected two million visitors to Rome this week.

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.

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