Pope Considered Retirement
Pope John Paul II suggested in his last will and testament that he considered the possibility of resigning in 2000, at a time when he was already ailing and when the Roman Catholic Church began its new millennium.
The document was released by the Vatican Thursday while the faithful got a final chance to pay respects to the late pontiff. Police reopened the line to St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday after closing it on Wednesday night.
The pope's testament also said he had left no material property and had asked that all his personal notes be burned. It mentioned only two living people: his personal secretary and the chief rabbi of Rome who welcomed him to Rome's synagogue in 1986.
In 1982, the pope also had considered the possibility of a funeral in Poland, asking that the opinion of his fellow countrymen be taken into account by the cardinals. Three years later, however, he said the cardinals had no obligation to sound out the Poles but could do so.
The pope, who died Saturday at age 84, will be buried under St. Peter's Basilica on Friday after a funeral in the square.
CBS News will provide live coverage of the funeral of Pope John Paul II on Friday, April 8, beginning at 4:00 a.m., ET, from St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith and CBS News Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts will anchor from Rome. CBSNews.com will provide a live Webcast of the funeral at 4 a.m., and a taped replay Webcast at 9 a.m. The funeral is expected to last three to four hours.
John Paul wrote the testament over the course of his 26-year pontificate, starting in 1979, the year after he was elected. The last entry was in 2000. It was written in his native Polish and translated by the Vatican into Italian.
Writing in 2000, when the effects of his Parkinson's disease were already apparent, the pope suggested the time was one of apparent torment for him, mentioning the 1981 attempt on his life. He called his survival a "miracle."
John Paul said he hoped the Lord "would help me to recognize how long I must continue this service to which he called me the day of 16 October, 1978."
John Paul mentioned only two living people in his will. They were his personal secretary, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, who he thanked profusely for his years of service. And in recalling various Christian and non-Christians for thanks, he singled out "the rabbi of Rome" — a reference to the former chief rabbi of Rome, Elio Toaff, who hosted John Paul during the pontiff's historic visit to Rome's central synagogue in 1986.
It was the first time a pope had ever visited a synagogue. Toaff paid his respects at John Paul's body on Monday, raising his arm in a gesture of tribute.
Authorities closed the line to St. Peter's Basilica Wednesday night as they rushed to make last-minute preparations for the pope's pomp-filled funeral on Friday, which was drawing leaders from nearly 100 countries. They also closed the basilica for a few hours overnight for cleaning.
By the time the basilica and line reopened, many who had waited hours for a chance to spend a few seconds briefly viewing the pope's crimson-robed body had given up and left, but the line grew strong again as a steady stream of new pilgrims joined the hundreds of thousands already at Vatican City for the funeral.
Rome police chief Marcello Fulvi estimated that some 4 million people had visited the Vatican, surpassing the city's population of 3.7 million.
"What really struck me, is all kinds of people, young, old, from all countries of the world, together in peace, in prayer. The music that is coming out of St. Peter's square creates a tone of prayer throughout the whole area," said CBS News Analyst Father Paul Robichaud.
Newly arrived Poles, waving red-and-white flags, massed around the Vatican, adding a shimmering stripe of color to the procession. An estimated 2 million were making their journey from John Paul's native country to pay tribute to the man credited with helping to end communism in Poland and unite Europe.
"We thought we'd find a lot of people here and could not get to the basilica," said Mikhal Szylar, a 19-year-old student who arrived on a bus from Poland. "We hope we'll be able to see the pope in a few hours."
Officials said Thursday's line was moving quicker, with the wait dramatically shortened to just a few hours. But they announced that the basilica doors would be shut at 10 p.m., making it likely that the line would be cut off later in the day to spare pilgrims too far back from waiting in vain.
Giant screens were being set up across the city to allow pilgrims who can't get to St. Peter's Basilica for the funeral Mass. Vehicle traffic was banned and schools were to shut down to ease congestion.
The Vatican also released the series of Masses that will be celebrated during the nine days of mourning that begin on Friday with the pope's funeral. Among the prelates celebrating the Masses is Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned as archbishop of Boston amid the sex abuse scandal and now heads the St. Mary Major basilica — one of the most important churches in Rome.
President Bush was joined by his father, former President George H.W. Bush and former President Bill Clinton in giving
Wednesday night, kneeling at the side of John Paul's bier and folding their hands in silent prayer.The fact that Mr. Bush is here is an indication of just how extraordinary John Paul II's contribution to the world was and how important America's 66 million Catholics are to the White House, reports CBS News Correspondent John Roberts.
They were among the nearly 200 monarchs, presidents and heads of government and other dignitaries who have begun arriving as Italian authorities ready anti-aircraft rocket launchers and other security measures.