The obsequies: Pope John Paul's cardinals yesterday took their first steps into the future without him. Meeting yesterday morning, 65 of them came together for a "congregation" which decided that the late Pope would be buried on Friday under the Basilica of St Peter following an open air funeral Mass on the Basilica steps.
Even if the most important task facing the princes of the church over the next month will be that of electing a successor to John Paul II, their most urgent business yesterday was to decide on the details of a funeral, which is expected to attract the greatest throng of pilgrims, heads of state and heads of government ever to descend on the Vatican.
Vatican spokesman Dr Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the cardinals had decided that the funeral Mass will be held on Friday, starting at 10am local time. In confirming that John Paul II will be buried under the Basilica, as is customary, the spokesman thus dismissed the romantic notion that the late Pope might have expressed a desire to be buried in his native Poland.
And yesterday evening the first act leading to the funeral took place when the profoundly solemn tones of the Litany of the Saints echoed eerily across a packed St Peter's Square as his body was moved from the Sala Clementina in the pontifical palace to the Basilica of St Peter's.
Many in the crowd wept, many prayed and even more applauded when the body of the Pope, carried on a catafalque by the Vatican "sediari" or throne-bearers, emerged from the Portone di Bronzo at the entrance to the Palace and made its way slowly across the square and up into the Basilica, all the while accompanied by Gregorian chant.
With as many as two million mourners expected to pour into Rome for the funeral, the authorities in the Eternal City are facing one of the most complex logistical operations ever confronted by the city. "For us it is an extraordinary test, of the most tremendous importance," said Mayor Walter Veltroni yesterday. Not only will Mr Veltroni, Italian police and Vatican authorities have to combine to mount an intense security operation for the more than 200 heads of state or government due to arrive, but also large reception centres will be required to deal with many of the pilgrims.
In the meantime, 65 of the cardinals were present and correct for yesterday morning's meeting. In all, 117 cardinals, those under the age of 80, are eligible to attend the conclave that will elect John Paul II's successor. A precise date for the conclave had not been fixed.
Under the terms of the February 1996 Apostolic Constitution, "Universi Dominici Gregis", which sets out the rules for the conclave as drawn up by John Paul II himself, the conclave must take place no sooner than 15 days and no later than 20 days after the death of the Pope. In other words, the conclave to elect the next Pope will probably start in exactly two weeks' time.
The fact that John Paul II's pontificate lasted almost 27 years has meant that he has appointed all but three of the 117 elector cardinals - the exceptions are German cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, US cardinal William Baum and Cardinal Jaime Sin of the Philippines. This might lead one to conclude that the late Pope has packed the house so as to guarantee a successor who will pursue his own blend of orthodox conservatism on socio-mores issues with innovative and challenging teaching on social justice matters.
In reality, few popes have ever been similar to their predecessors, as witness the line that goes from Pius XII to John XXIII to Paul VI to John Paul I and John Paul II. Initial impressions are that several cardinals still have an open mind on their choice of successor: "I think it needs to be a man who is not similar to John Paul II. . . but one who has the same qualities of love for truth, love for men," said French Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger.
The notion that the conclave will give serious consideration to the idea of a developing world candidate was confirmed yesterday by another French cardinal, Bernard Panafieu, of Marseilles. Asked if the next pope could come from the Third World, he said he expected there could be a surprise at the conclave. New Zealand's Cardinal Tom Williams said it could take several votes to decide a new pope. "It's unlikely there would be a choice, an obvious choice, made early on," he said.