vatican
Many Nations Come to Mourn Pope
By Chris Mitchell
Middle East Bureau Chief
CBN.com –
THE VATICAN - For the third straight day, hundreds of
thousands flooded Vatican City.
The mayor of Rome estimates as many as four million people may
come to the city by the end of the week. In a remarkably quiet
and reverent manner, the throng waited a minimum of five to six
hours for a glimpse of the pope.
An Argentine nun said, “Saying goodbye to a father who
has been much more than a father and a pope -- and he has been
a good shepherd to us.”
A California man remarked, “I heard that his last words
were, ‘Amen,’ which speaks volumes about the man.
And I would like to someday, obviously not to that extent, but
have my faith be that strong.”
A Polish-Canadian woman said, “It is very peaceful and
emotional, and I feel I'm here on behalf of the entire countries
of Poland and Canada. And it's very, very important.”
The media coverage here in Rome is unprecedented. The world's
media is taking the story of Pope John Paul's death, funeral and
eventual successor to hundreds of millions of people around the
world.
Dr. William Thorn of Pontificate Salesian University said he
had not seen anything like this before. Thorn has been a consultant
to the Vatican on media relations since 1983. He said, “As
I look at the world media, and I look at the reporters who are
working in different voices with all kind of networks and stations,
I think this is a reflection of the influence John Paul the Second
had around the world.”
Thorn believes the worldwide attention reflects the change that
Pope John Paul II brought to the papacy. He said, “He pulled
the Pope out of the Vatican and took the church to the world.
I think he understood that, at this point, at the end of the twentieth
century and the beginning of the 21st century, a pope can no longer
be the leader of the flock by sitting in the Vatican palace.”
As the long lines continue, nearly one million people have seen
the Pope lying in state so far. The Vatican is preparing for the
conclave of cardinals later this month to elect Pope John Paul's
successor, and also will host world leaders on Friday, ranging
from U.S. President George Bush to Syria's Bashar Assad.
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