It was six in the morning when the alarms of Víctor, Elena, Cayetana, and Patricia went off. But these Spanish Erasmus students were not waking up early this Wednesday to go to class at the University of Perugia, but to catch a train to Rome. With a coffee in hand and sunglasses on, they arrived at the Vatican to join the endless line of faithful waiting for their chance to say goodbye to Pope Francis at his lying in state in St. Peter's Basilica.
"It's very nice to arrive here at the Square and see so many people who want to offer their condolences and be present at such a historic moment," Cayetana, a 21-year-old from Murcia, tells EL MUNDO, while in the background the chants of the Cappella Giulia can be heard as the deceased Pontiff's coffin enters the Vatican temple. "Yes, it's quite striking," adds Víctor, 22, who is interrupted by Elena: "Although his death was something that could be foreseen, it still impacts you." "It's in these moments that you appreciate the work he has done in his Papacy," the young man summarizes.
Unlike the previous day, today does not have the air of Jubilee that was fueled yesterday by groups of faithful as they completed their pilgrimage through the Holy Door at the end of via della Conciliazione. Today, a sepulchral silence reigns. Tourists do not protest when the carabinieri confiscate their deodorants or beverage cans at the entrance to the Holy See. They understand that today is not an ordinary day. Blocked by barriers, they cannot enter the mass being held under the Roman sun in front of St. Peter's, but that does not stop them from staying as close as possible to observe the scene.
If yesterday the heart of the Vatican was overflowing with people, today it is about to burst, with up to 20,000 people estimated. The lines fold back on themselves like an infinite concertina. There is a line to enter the line. The demand to see the Pope's body is such that the Vatican is considering extending the closing hours so that everyone can enter St. Peter's, as announced by the Holy See in a statement this Wednesday. For now, the lying in state will remain open today and tomorrow until 00:00, and on Friday until 19:00, before the funeral, which will take place on Saturday, and the subsequent transfer to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he will be buried in a niche between the Pauline and Sforza chapels.
Among the crowd is Jesús, a Valencian priest who, these days, is accompanying around thirty Spanish faithful, mostly elderly, on their pilgrimage through the Italian capital. "We are from the Valencia region, from the towns that suffered the DANA," he recounts. "We had planned this pilgrimage since last year. Then, at the end of October, we suffered that horrible tragedy, but we decided to continue with our trip. What we never imagined was that it would coincide with the Pope's death."
The feeling upon arriving at the Vatican is "bittersweet." "We are in Rome, in the Eternal City, at Easter time and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and yet, the Pope has died," reflects Jesús. "But, on the other hand, we are quite satisfied because he was a Pontiff who opened many windows, and for those of us who believe in God, it has been a true blessing," he adds, while the congregation recites the Liturgy of the Saints, to which Jesús believes the Pope "has joined." He takes a moment to look around before continuing to speak with the reporter. "Look at how many people are here, believers and non-believers. I am pleasantly surprised by the great attention given to Pope Francis," he celebrates. He is aware that he may have to endure a long wait to have the opportunity to offer condolences before the body of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, but he is not too concerned. "We have said we can handle up to eight hours of waiting without any problem because, yes, we want to go through," he concludes.
Midway through the service, around 9:45 in the morning, a long line begins to form under the right colonnade surrounding the Basilica. Like a wave, umbrellas unfold one after another in an attempt to protect themselves from the sun. At that moment, Sister Esperanza heads towards the entrance and becomes the center of attention for the press. "I come from East Timor," she explains in English to the journalists. "I am very excited because I met Pope Francis on more than one occasion," she adds. "His presence was as if Jesus Christ himself was there because I loved him very much."
Less than 15 minutes later, the line snakes through the semicircle surrounding the Square and extends under the left arch, from where the other journalists observe from above the arrival of the Pope's coffin at his lying in state. Many come and go, but Enrique, with a Mexican flag on his back like a cape, has been observing the crowd for a while. "It gives me great peace to see so many people here. There is a very beautiful energy of respect among the people, and above all, a great unity because Pope Francis was a father who united the whole world," this native of Aguascalientes summarizes before picking up his backpack and joining the rest of his group, who are approaching the line to become the first of thousands of people who will bid farewell to the Argentine Pontiff this week.