Long lines, short prayers await visitors to Pope John Paul II's tomb

Published: 2005-07-22

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In addition to the normal logjams created by security screening and checks to ensure modest dress, the lines at St. Peter's Basilica are longer than the summer norm because of visitors to Pope John Paul II's tomb. More than three months after the pope's April 2 death, the Vatican is still running a separate line just for visitors to his tomb. The line takes visitors around the outside of St. Peter's Basilica, directly into the underground grotto, past the tomb and outside again. Those who want to visit the church must then get into a short, quick line. A few visitors pause first at the tombs of Popes Paul VI and John Paul I in the grotto, and almost all of them stop before the icon above the tomb of St. Peter, but obviously the recently deceased pope's final resting place is the visitors' goal. Only a lucky, persistent few have a chance to pray before the tomb. With the long lines and, especially, pilgrimage groups wanting to see the tomb, the basilica's ushers rather brusquely keep the lines moving.

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