Patience and Homage

Thousands paid their last respects to Pope John Paul II in St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City.  (Genaro Molina / LAT)

A man makes a telephone call next to a screen projecting a video image of Pope John Paul II in front of the collonaid in St. Peters Square. Those who waited in line to view the pope were treated to video images of the pontiff.  (Genaro Molina / LAT)

Pilgrims take one last look at Pope John Paul II before exiting St. Peters Basilica.  (Genaro Molina / LAT)

Enrico Mistretta, of Palermo, Sicily, tries to see how much farther he has to go to get to St. Peters Basilica.  (Genaro Molina / LAT)

A woman carries a newspaper that proclaims, “The Pope of everyone,” while waiting in line to view Pope John Paul II in St. Peters Basilica.  (Genaro Molina / LAT)

A daily fixture in St. Peters Square, Martin Lombardo sings to the heavens in memory of Pope John Paul II.  (Genaro Molina / LAT)

Rustem Oztemel and his wife, Halide, came all the way from Kurdistan to attend Pope John Paul II’s funeral in Rome.  (Genaro Molina / LAT)

Thousands of Catholics wait in a long line on Via Cociliacione to pay their last respects.  (Genaro Molina / LAT)

A banner of Pope John Paul II, carried by pilgrims, seems to be another face in the crowd of people.  (Genaro Molina / LAT)

Cars are bumper to bumper due to all the activity and visitors near the Vatican. Rome is expecting 2 million visitors in the next few days leading up to Pope John Paul II’s funeral.  (Genaro Molina / LAT)

Members of the N.V.E. Protezione Civile hold the crowd back near the Vatican before letting them cross the street and join the line to enter St. Peters to view Pope John Paul II in Rome.  (Genaro Molina / LAT)

Street artist Mario Cololuca believes that all the visitors to Rome in the next few days will do little for the economy because he feels that pilgrims do not shop. Cololuca has been selling his water colors in Piazza Novona in Rome for the past 30 years.  (Genaro Molina / LAT)