Wednesday, April 06, 2005
The Polish Pilgrimage
Two million people from poland alone are going to the pope's funeral. Add in the italians who will coming in large numbers because they are close and then everyone else. We are talking about massive numbers of people on next to no notice without central organization (which may be over rated in most cases). This may be the biggest sponateous gathering of humans ever, or at least in the west (how many came to Mao's funeral).
Jax
A mass exodus of Poles from cities, towns, and villages all over the country began yesterday, with up to 2 million determined to get to Rome to witness the funeral of the only Polish pope.Their arrival in Rome over the next 48 hours will place the city, its police, transport and accommodation systems under even more strain in hosting the largest event in its long history. As many as 2 million Italians are also expected, as are representatives from many other nationalities.
Achille Serra, the prefect of Rome, said last night: "The funeral of the Pope is the greatest event ever to have taken place in Rome - multiplied by 10. The biggest difficulty comes from not knowing who will be arriving, when, and where."
Last night an estimated 600,000 people were queuing up to 12 hours to see the body of Pope John Paul II, lying in state in St Peter's Basilica for a second day.
In the first day more than 500,000 people are thought to have filed past the body, hustled at a brisk pace by officious stewards allowing no time to pause or say more than the briefest prayer.
Outside in St Peter's Square, impromptu shrines have been established.
With 200 world leaders expected to gather for Friday's funeral, Italy instituted stringent security precautions. The skies over the city will be closed from today for all but military and official traffic, and Nato Awacs planes will provide security radar cover over a 250 mile radius to deter a terrorist attack.
But the Polish pilgrimage is the most extraordinary. Tour companies have laid on special buses from all corners of the country. Four special trains have been ordered from Warsaw to Rome and another two from the southern city of Krakow, where John Paul spent most of his life.
Pilgrims have been queuing at Warsaw's central station all week hoping to land a coveted seat on the trains leaving today. LOT, the national airline, is struggling to cope with the demand and Poles are said to be buying tickets for any destinations heading south that may get them closer to Rome.
Polish media reported yesterday that up to 5 million people - nearly a seventh of the country's 38 million inhabitants - might try to attend the funeral.
The Polish foreign ministry, basing its guesswork on a less than scientific survey of Polish travel agents and tour operators, said yesterday it thought 2 million Poles could be on the move.
Newspapers published copious how-to guides in an attempt to forestall some of the chaos and disappointment that looks inevitable in the mad scramble. Where to park in the city; where to find a bed; how to get to St Peter's; and advice on the fastest routes and best maps of the 1,119-mile trip from Warsaw to Rome, passing through the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria.
The train trip, costing around £100 - a week's wages for many Poles - takes up to 25 hours. The special trains will leave today and arrive in Rome late tomorrow or early on Friday morning. LOT has scheduled five planes to the city today, four more than usual. Regional low-cost airlines such as Wizz Air, Centralwings and Skyeurope in neighbouring Slovakia are also laying on charters from southern Poland. (Link)
