Thousands visit Pope John Paul II's tomb
Clutching rosaries, medals and flowers, thousands of people filed past the simple white marble tomb of Pope John Paul II on Wednesday, as the Vatican re-opened the grottoes beneath St. Peter's Basilica to the public.
Some of the mourners said they had come not only to pray for John Paul, but also to pray to him. Many Roman Catholics believe John Paul, who died April 2 at age 84, was a saint.
"I'm hoping maybe for a little miracle," said Myrna Palmer, 67, of Hagerstown, Md. "I'm praying to him that my husband gets his eyesight back."
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Her husband, Gorman Palmer, lost the sight in one eye after chemotherapy treatment.
Pilgrims lined up as early as 4 a.m., three hours before the grottoes were re-opened, in the crisp morning air.
"We are Catholics, and we had to see the pope one last time," said Angelo de Tommaso, a 30-year-old accountant who traveled overnight by bus from the southern Italian town of Ginosa to be among the first in line.
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