Poles Plan Friday's Send-Off
A flurry of plans are emerging for the funeral of Pope John Paul II this Friday morning. Although confirmation is still pending for many of Cracow's tributes, it looks set that the Blonia Common will be the main gathering place, where huge screens will be erected. Polish news sources have also announced a major concert later that evening, with artists 'from across the world' taking part.
It was on the Blonia Common that Pope John Paul made his first speech back in his native Cracow after he was elected to the Papacy twenty six years ago. Over a million people gathered for that historic address, and it was one of a series of epic encounters that helped galvanize the Poles for the emergence of the Solidarity protest movement.
Yesterday afternoon as many as 300,000 souls gathered for a mass led by Primate Glemp on Warsaw's Pilsudski Square.
Poles are supporting the idea that every street in the country that is named after the Pope - and that's more than a fair few - will be lined with candles for the eve of the Pontiff's funeral.
Meanwhile, Rome has declared that all accommodation in the capital is fully booked. What's more, there is no parking space left for several kilometres around the Vatican. The Italian capital is expecting as many as 5 million mourners, including numerous dignitaries from around the world.