Samia Nkrumah witnesses the transformation of Rome as pilgrims pay their last respects to Pope John Paul II For days on end, the area surrounding the Vatican State in the heart of the Italian capital has resembled a spectacular scene from an epic film. The main streets leading up to St Peter's Basilica where the body of the late John Paul II, or Karol Wojtyla, is laid in state, are overflowing with a sea of pilgrims hoping to bid farewell to their spiritual leader. They are moving at a snail's pace to the continuous murmur of voices that are periodically broken by rounds of applause, singing and chants of "Giovanni Paolo! Giovanni Paolo!" Residents, incredulous, look out of their windows. "Under siege" is how one described the neighbourhood. They can neither park nor move their cars. Streets are closed to vehicles to allow pilgrims easier access to St Peter's Square. The square, offering a view to the windows of the papal apartments, remains packed with faithful pilgrims. Small details like the sight of a group of people carrying the Palestinian flag stand out. To catch a glimpse of the body of John Paul II, pilgrims have to queue for hours on end. Hundreds of thousands turned up the first day. The Basilica's doors are open till 3am, then closed for two hours and re-open at five. Young people dominate the crowd; a testimony to how successful the last papacy was in embracing young followers in Italy and abroad. According to Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro- Valls, Pope Wojtyla singled out the youth in his last prayers. Young people of 25 years and under have only known one pope in their lifetime. The public manner in which the late pontiff's final illness and ensuing death was diffused, documented and publicised is unprecedented in modern times. Every detail of the pope's final hours of agony were conveyed and explained. Days before the death, the area surrounding the Vatican was invaded not only by faithful pilgrims, but also by a vast array of media apparatuses. Only two days before Pope Wojtyla's death, foreign and Italian television crews filled the nearby streets with their vans, and satellite dishes were seen on every other terrace in the neighbourhood. While many Italians have complained about the indecency of the press-dominated event detailing every aspect of the late pope's failing health, it is nevertheless the same media that the pope frequently used to publicise his message. Giving the media free range to show the late pontiff's last hours almost seems to have been a matter of choice. A Vatican observer recalled that when early symptoms of Parkinson emerged and the late pope's hand trembled visibly, he had clearly refused his aides' advice to allow the cameras to take his good side only. Writing in the Italian daily Il Messeggero Massimo D'Alema, former prime minister and leader of opposition party Democrats of the Left contended that death in mediaeval times was a public event and that this aspect has been reflected in the last few days. The late pontiff, who expressed solidarity with the poor and oppressed chose neither to suffer nor die in solitude, fulfilling his role as a moral and spiritual leader and head of a global institution. D'Alema recalls his own first emotional meeting with the pontiff. At the time, press coverage was awash with expectation, focussing on political differences between the two men. When they finally met face to face, Pope Wojtyla looked into D'Alema's eyes and smiling, said, "Let's talk about the world ..." Veteran Vatican correspondents recall how just after the election of Pope Wojtyla in 1978, Italians gathered in St Peter's Square to greet the new pope, murmuring "who is he?" when they first heard the foreign name. This is a far cry from the man who Italians eventually grew to love and appreciate. The most-travelled Pope made Italian Catholics feel part of the big world, linked to Eastern Europe, Latin America and in Africa. Today the church is a multicultural institution. Rome is bracing itself for the funeral of John Paul II tomorrow. Makeshift shelters are being constructed across the city after hotels appear unable to accommodate over a million pilgrims flocking to the city of 2.5 million. Around 5,000 voluntary workers and hundreds of ambulances are on standby. Over 1,500 special agents and dozens of helicopters are preparing for the heads of state expected to arrive. The list of over 20 dignitaries expected to attend the funeral is above all impressive in its diversity: American President George W Bush, Cuban President Fidel Castro, Iranian President Khatami, Israeli president Moshe Katzav, just to name a few leaders who most indicate the late pontiff's political astuteness and worldwide appeal. However, this reaction is not surprising given that John Paul II was admired for his courageous political stance on many global issues over the last two or three decades. Many commentators point to the fact that he was as much a political as a spiritual leader. The Islamic world remembers that he was the first pope to visit a mosque, the Omayid Mosque in Damascus in 2001. The Arab world recalls that he had recently, and on more than one occasion, spoken against the war in Iraq. Pope Wojtyla also spoke out in support of Palestinians' right to self- determination. "Palestinians have the natural right to a homeland," recalled the Islamic movements Hamas and Jihad in their messages of condolence to Catholics in Italy and around the world. In the past, Pope Wojtyla met Yasser Arafat about eight times, with their first meeting in 1982. African countries remember how the late pope refused to visit South Africa until the post- apartheid government of Nelson Mandela came to power. In 1998, the late pope's historic visit to Cuba left a lasting impact in the country, and his condemnation of the trade embargo on Cuba earned him Castro's appreciation. At the same time, Pope Wojtyla will be remembered in the West above all for his role in supporting the independent Solidarity Labour Union movement in Poland that was instrumental in bringing down the communist regime in the country. The late pontiff was also the first pope to step inside a synagogue in 1986 when he visited Rome's biggest synagogue. Under Wojtyla's reign, the Vatican and Israel established full diplomatic relations in 1994. He was also the first to visit Israel in 2000, and almost two years earlier had apologised on behalf of the church in one of the Vatican documents for not helping Jews during the Holocaust. The old Italian adage that says "The Pope is dead, another Pope will emerge," does not find much resonance here in the aftermath of the death of Pope Wojtyla. There is general agreement in this country that the last pope will be a hard act to follow. The editor-in-chief of the Turin-based La Stampa daily might have to pay dearly with his job for precipitating the death of John Paul II by putting the headline "John Paul II -- 1920-2005 on the paper's first page a day before the actual death of the pope. "He who enters the conclave as a Pope leaves as a cardinal," goes another Italian adage and it rang true in the case of Pope Wojtyla, the first non- Italian pope in 450 years to head the Catholic Church. The inference is that favourite candidates stand less chance of being elected. Will the next Pope be another outsider? A South American or an African? In both continents Catholicism is on the rise. In Africa, the rise of Catholicism is the fastest in the world. According to more than one survey, the number of African Catholics increased drastically over the last two decades reaching 137.5 million. One top African candidate is Cardinal Francis Arinze from Nigeria who is also known for his experience in inter-faith dialogue, one sector that was given particular attention by Pope John Paul II. Or the papacy could return to Italian hands as the Italian daily Corriere della Sera has predicted. London Bookmakers agree, tipping Dionigi Tettamanzi, the 71-year-old archbishop of Milan as the favourite Italian contender. Analysts here say it all depends on what the 117 voting cardinals consider to be the Roman Catholic Church's priority. The name of the new pope will be revealed in the next few weeks when the cardinals who are arriving from all over the world vote and confer in the impressive Sistine Chapel most known for the famous Michelangelo frescoes covering its ceilings. In spite of his great charisma and enduring popularity, John Paul II will also be remembered for his opposition to issues like women priesthood, divorce, marriage of priests, and artificial contraceptives. Many Catholics feel that the church should revise its opinions on at least some of these questions. Pope John Paul II may be a tough act to follow. Still, a successor who will tackle the many issues of reform; heed Muslim's demand for an apology for the Crusades; and Jewish cries for a more explicit apology for the church's role in the Holocaust.
