GMA’s ‘Omalgio al Papa’ with Annan, Bush and Moussa

ST. PETER’S SQUARE, Vatican — At 8 in the morning Friday, in the middle of the sixteen-hour silence imposed on Rome as the solemn tribute (l’omaggio) to the funeral rites for the much-loved Holy Father Pope John Paul II, the Philippine delegation accompanying President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was in place at the top of the circular colonnade embracing St. Peter Square.

"Corriere dello Sera, 7 Aprile 2005 issue reports "L’attesa: Un serpentone infinito e andato avanti per giorni e notti. I volontari della protezione civile hanno distribuito acqua – The wait: An infinite serpentine line kept queuing throughout day and night since Saturday when the beloved Pope passed away. Boxes of bottled water were distributed for free for the pilgrims all over Rome."

Within the past days, the queuing lasted from five to 17 hours before the pilgrims could view the Pope’s body inside the Basilica. Rome had to warn the visitors, "Non venite piu" (Do not come anymore). However, huge television screens were setup in major Piazza or Rome like in Piazza Risorginento, where he dashed to buy rosaries and stampitas bearing Pope John Paul II’s image.

The Funeral Mass For The "Good Sheperd" Of 27 Years

Together with CBCP media officer Teresa Tunay. RVM Sr. Luz, Sr. Lou, and Sr. Clarissa, Cerge Remonde, Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, Belinda Cunanan Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye and Mr. Richard Lee of Universal Motors. I watched the awesome crowd of European, American and Asian pilgrims below with our Filipino community waving their different country flags. (The most prominent were the white and red banners of the Polish pilgrims.) For the past days, unable to find accommodation, they slept with blankets on the sidewalks of the St. Peter Square.

As other diplomatic delegations of various countries sat with us behind the massive statues of the 300 stone sculptured saints, we watched the scenery down below in front of St. Peter Basilica at the right side of the altar, our own President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in a black dress and long veil constantly whipped by the chilly morning wind among 200 state leaders. To her left was UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa. To her right is Mrs. Gina de Venecia.

Other VIPs tricked in from St. Peter’s Basilica where they passed by Pope John Paul’s plain wooden coffin before they were met by Cardinal Marini, the official host of the papal funeral ceremonies.

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia of Spain came in followed by Prince Charles and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain. Across them the fuschia-robed bishops of the world were seated. The last state leader to arrive was US President George W. Bush with wife Laura, former president George Bush (his father) and Bill Clinton. Seated two rows away from President Arroyo, he walked over to shake her hand pleasantly greeting her, "Good morning, Mrs. President. La paz! (‘peace’)" This she recounted later in the afternoon flight to Manila.

Across us were 3,500 media men and camera men from all over the world recording this great historical event. As the more than 100 red-robbed cardinals came in, the twelve papal signori (pole bearers) appeared bearing the simple wooden coffin of the Holy Father. The crowd hailed the entry while the coffin bearers solemnly walked around and placed the coffin in the middle of a Persian carpet right in front of the altar.

The Italian newspaper described the Friday event at St. Peter Square as "Una piazza piena e le chiese vuote (a crowded Square and an empty church)" referring to the millions of pilgrims, state leaders and media men filling up the St. Peter Square while the Basilica of St. Peter remains empty.

La Decisione: The Decision

This Monday, after a special Mass "for electing the successor of St. Peter "the Sistine Chapel, 116 cardinals (out of 183) will give the first vote, the beginning of the papal conclave. In 1959, Pope John XXIII (Angelo Roncalli), was voted after four days and eleven sessions. In 1963, it took three days and six sessions to elect Pope Paul VI (G. Battista Montini). In 1978, within three days and eight sessions Pope John Paul II (Karol Wajtyla of Poland) was elected.

Errata

Owing to transmission difficulties some published figures have to be corrected. There were 3,500 OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) who filled up to bursting point the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to join President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in a High Mass for His Holiness Pope John Paul II. The total number of Filipino workers in Italy, most of whom are domestic helpers assisting well-known Italian businessmen in major cities of Rome, Milan, Florence, Perugia, etc. run up to almost 200,000, the largest group of Filipino migrant workers in Europe.