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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (108091)	4/6/2005 8:12:23 PM
From: KLP	Respond to of 793846

Security Tightened as Patient Pilgrims View Pope Wed Apr 6, 4:16 AM ET By Philip Pullella and Phil Stewart VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Italy prepared missiles and a warship on Wednesday to protect the world's powerful at Pope John Paul's funeral as a ceaseless floodtide of pilgrims waited hours to pay their respects to the Polish pontiff. Hundreds of thousands of faithful stood packed together in line more than 12 hours overnight to enter St. Peter's Basilica where the Pope's body lay on a simple bier near the grotto where he will be buried on Friday. "I never, ever expected to take this long, but I have no regrets," said Andres Chnostowski, a 36-year-old Polish immigrant living in Italy, as fog shrouded the basilica. Asked if he regretted the long wait, Craig Simoneaux, 49, of the United States, said: "How long does it really take to say goodbye?" The funeral will bring together nearly 200 world leaders, some of whom rarely if ever meet, a fitting tribute to a Pope who fought for world peace and unity. The chairs already laid out in St. Peter's Square will seat President Bush near President Mohammad Khatami of Iran, one of the countries Bush included in his "axis of evil." Later this month, red-hatted cardinals will meet in conclave in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel to elect John Paul's successor. Although sworn to secrecy, cardinals have started sketching in public their preferences. Some believe the next pontiff should come from a developing country in the Southern Hemisphere, where two thirds of the 1.1 billion Catholics live. "It would be great, of course, if it were somebody from the vibrant South where the faith is lived with a great deal of enthusiasm," said Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of South Africa. "I'M ANXIOUS" To protect the funeral guests, Rome is drafting in thousands of extra police, a surveillance plane, anti-aircraft missiles and a warship off the Mediterranean coast. From Thursday, no aircraft will be allowed to fly over the Italian capital. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he was worried. "Of course I'm anxious but only as much as you would be, as much as you should be," he told reporters. As many as 1 million pilgrims have filed past the pontiff's body since it was laid in state, and authorities said as many as 5 million were eventually expected to come to Rome to pay homage to John Paul, who died on Saturday. A crane unloaded cases of water from a large truck. Hundreds of pilgrims were treated for fainting and dehydration over the first two days of his lying-in-state. "People, this is a dramatic situation," security coordinator Andrea Astolsi shouted through a microphone at the crowd outside the basilica. "This is a 14 to 15 hour wait." It was one week ago that Pope John Paul, who helped topple Communism in Europe and traveled more than any other pontiff, made his last public appearance, failing dramatically to utter words of blessing to a crowd outside his Vatican window. Three days later, he died in his apartment of septic shock and heart failure. STRICT DOCTRINE For all the emotional outpouring in Rome, many criticize the late Pope for his intransigent stance on issues from celibacy to contraception, from homosexuality to women's role in the Church. "The next pope should be someone who understands the reality of the developing world," said Nadira Omarjee, a researcher at South Africa-based People Opposing Women Abuse. But Cardinal Napier stood by John Paul. "Is not the spread of AIDS due to irresponsible sexual behavior rather than because people are told not to use condoms or are told to use condoms?" he said. To cope with the influx of pilgrims, local authorities threw up tents on the outskirts of the ancient city and opened special hostels. Many spent the night on the ground in sleeping bags. Bus-loads were on their way from the Pope's native Poland. Ships and planes were bringing in many more. There are 117 cardinals eligible to vote for the next pope at a secret conclave later this month. Almost all were elevated to be "princes of the Church" by John Paul, making it likely his conservative views will continue into the next papacy. Archbishop Dionigi Tettamanzi of Milan is leading bookmakers' stakes but cardinals were keen to steer clear of any predictions. The Pope will be buried under St. Peter's on the same spot as John XXIII, who died in 1963 but has since been beatified and moved up to the main level of the marble-lined basilica. A Vatican spokesman said John Paul's will could be opened when cardinals meet on Wednesday but ruled out the possibility of his body -- or parts of it -- being buried in Poland. Italy's leading news agency, Ansa, denied having issued a report attributed to it that is circulating on the Internet that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden would attend the Pope's funeral. It said the story was a hoax. (Additional reporting by Jane Barrett in Vatican City)