Thousands of faithful congregate in the Plaza de San Pedro to say goodbye to the pontiff
From half past 5 in the morning, the cars of line A of the Rome subway that passes through the Vatican area were full of faithful, tourists and pilgrims that were heading to the Plaza de San Pedro to give the last goodbye to Pope Francis. The first train in the morning, which left the terminal when it was still night, reached the ottavian stop and with the first lights of Alba. A multitude of people left the station and set up to the Vatican. At the same time, a tide of civil protection uniformed and Red Cross walked in the direction of the same site.
After 6 in the morning the tails were already constant in the security controls to enter the square, between strong security measures. Police agents, the Carabinieri and the Finanza Guard control the bags and backpacks of everyone who would like to pass. In many points there are metal detectors. The guards remove the water bottles for security and warn that they will distribute new ones in the square. More than 4,000 Civil Protection, Red Cross and similar organizations, arriving from all over Italy, were deployed by the square and surroundings.
There are many groups of young people who had come to Rome for the jubilee of adolescents celebrated this weekend. They wear backpacks or t -shirts with some allusion to the Holy Year. “They are being very exciting days and the boys are living it with a lot of faith and respect. Now we will try to take a good place to be able to see the funeral together,” explains Angelico Torrini, a catechist from a parish of Genoa who has traveled to the capital with a group of 28 young people. “Yesterday we could enter the basilica to say goodbye to the Pope, at first it caused us impression, but then we moved,” says Rosamaria, 16. “Francisco always encouraged young people to dream, to have hope in the future, gave us very good advice,” says Elena, of the same age.
