Rome Day Two: A Long Line, But Worth The Wait As I Was Able To Pay My Final Respects To Pope Francis.

After arriving at the Best Western hotel near the Termini Station in Rome,  I quickly settled in my room  and was soon back out, walking to the Metro on my way to Saint Peter’s  Basilica in the Vatican.   I  was here for Pope Francis ‘s funeral and hoped to also see him lying in state at the  Basilica before the lines were closed for the day before the funera lin the morning.

I walked in the bright April early afternoon sunshine through the busy streets of room.

I chose this  hotel since it was close to the Metro station.

It was only a few blocksd to the Metro and I soon joined the crowds headed to the Vatican. When the train arrived it  were packed  and only a few were able to shove their way  aboard the crowded train.  I was lucky to be one of them.

It was an interesting train ride as we had almost no room to move. I was having doubts I would be able to pay my respects to the Pope because of the lonfg lines I may encounter. There is more on why I made this trip to Rome  in previous blog, but, in shirt  I was in the crowd when he was chosen Pope. And  I loved his message of humility, love for all humanity, and his fierce defense of nature. I felt I had to be here honor him and to say farewell. Our train car emptied at the Ottaviani  Metro Station and the I joined the crowds  leaving the station and merged  with  the larger crowds  heading to the Vatican.  

I know this route well, I was in Rome twice before, for Pope John Paul II funeral and the selection and inauguration Mass for Pope Francis.

I walked with the crowds, which got larger as we neared Saint Peter’s  Square.

Emergency vehicles and police officers lined the streets.

I slowly made my way, with the crowd, toward the Vatican on Via di Porta Angelica.  And then suddenly the  flow of people stopped. I had reached the line to enter Saint Peter’s Square. . I wasn’t sure, after the long flight, with little sleep , that I’d be able stand in a  two to three hour line.

But didn’t look that  long and I could see Saint Peter’s Basilica  in the distance. So I decided to  get in  the  line. thinking I could always leave if it wasn’t moving.

Well it was longer than I thought.  The line would move, at a steady pace,

then would suddenly stop,  We would have to wait, sometimes for 15 minutes, before it would start moving again.  I would soon learn why.

It took me about two hours to finally enter Saint Peter’s Square.  Here I finally  found the reason for the  line stopping. They would  allow a large group of people to enter a security check,  then stop the line until the all the group cleared security.  It took about 15 minutes until each group passed through security. . 

I thought  the line would now  move quickly and I’d soon be inside of Saint Peter’s Basilica. 

I was wrong, I now realized the line re-formed and now  meandered like a chain  through Saint Peter’s Square. I still had a long wait.

However, here I met a wonderful family from western Pennsylvania, Kathy , her  brother  Rob and  ther mother who I also called  mom. She had to be in her mid 80’s and was a feisty, friendly and knowledgeable woman. I loved her and her children.

We shared many stories and discussed the life of Pope Francis  as we waited for two more hours in line.

The friendliness of this  family made the time pass pleasantly and quickly. It was the sixth, seventh and eighth  friends I made on my journey to the Vatican. . I knew Pope Francis was  pleased. He loved people and I am sure was able to see the love they shared for him and each other in this vast crowd who came to pay their respects to him.

As I waited  in line I also engaged in another activity loved by Pope Francis, his love of nature. I  watched the many seagulls flying overhead,   their white wings making them appear to be doves  flying over the Saint Peter’s Square.

It was  almost  as if the were saying farewell to  the Pope. Some of the seaguills rested on the magificant water fountian in the square. I reflected on the last time I was in the square,  and stood near this fountain. It was on a cold, rainy March  evening in 2013  when I saw the white smoke fill the dark skies. It was the night Pope Francis  made his first appearance after he was chosen as Pope. It was a night I will never forget.

Slowly we moved, in short increment, and finally we  made it to the steps of Saint Peter’s Basilica.

As we were about to enter the doors, we were told, repeatedly, not to take photographs inside.

But  as soon as we entered the Basilica  almost everyone in line had their  smart phones out taking photos and videos.  I only took this one.  Out of respect for Pope Francis I followed the instructions not to take photos.   I later learned they were live streaming his coffin and that it may have been the conservative folks at the Vatican who were opposed to having photos taken. So I can’t share a photo of him looking at rest.  He looked  at peace.  I believe he died content, after  celebrting Easter Subday  his people. He did not want to die  a hospital. It as an emotional and spiritual experience.   I was blessed to be there to share it and his message of love  with friends on social media and here in my blog.

It was late afternoon when I left Saint Peter’s shortly after 5 p.m. I had  been in line for almost four hours and I was tired. The sun was hot, although it was now overcast. I slept little on my flight from Newark.  I am not as young as I used to be,  I guess none of us are.

There were many young folks resting after waiting in the long line to see the Pope.

The long lines were gone as I walked back to the Metro.  There were still crowds of people walking back to the Metor. The viewing of the Pope ended at 5 p.m. I made it just in time, one of the many blessings I received on this trip.

On my walk back to the Metro  I walked thorugh  the crowds and I reflected on Pope Francis.  his message of love for all people, and his  fierce advocacy for the protection of our precious natural environment.  It was amazing the love, joy and respect the crowd showed for the Pope. There was no pushing or shoving just a quiet acceptance that there will be a wait be it was a small price to pay  for such an honor to say farewell to  Pope   Francis.

The trains  were again packed and we had to pushe our way into the crowded cars but no one  minded the inconvienence. There was a ,tolerance and kindness in the air in Rome. I left the Metro walked back to my hotel again,

noticing the many picture and tributes to Pope Francis, on  large video screens on the side of buildings.   Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos of my wait in line to see Pope  Francis at rest in Saint Peter’s. Rome Day Two. Vatican. Viewing of Pope Francis April 25 2025.

I made it back to my hotel around 6 p.m. I was tired and hungry. I wanted to eat and sleep  but was  disappointed to learn my hotel restaurant didn’t open until 7 p.m. I was too tired to walk to another restuarant so I showered and waited until 7 p.m to eat. I was disappointed again .  I had a plain meal with some vegetable soup,

and pasta in an octupus sauce, it was okay but not up to the standards of great Italian cooking I usually found in Rome. I was soon in my room,  and tired. I wanted to sleep so I  could get up early to attend the funeral in the mornimng. b However, as tired as I was, I didn’t fall sleep.  I was still on Pennsylvania time and it was only mid  afternoon. I had a beer from the room refrigator and finally fell asleep around 10 p.a.m.  But not for long. I didn’t sleep well.  I was up a few time during the night, recalling, fondly, the events of the day and realizing how blessed I was to make it to Rome and view Pope Francis as he lay at rest in the Vatican.

“Some people want to know why I wished to be called Francis. For me, Francis of Assisi is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation.” Pope Francis 

“When we talk about the environment, about creation, my thoughts go to the first pages of the Bible, to the Book of Genesis, where it says that God puts men and women on the earth to till it and keep it. And these questions occur to me: What does cultivating and preserving the earth mean? Are we truly cultivating and caring for creation? Or are we exploiting and neglecting it?”  Pope Francis