Two seconds to see the body of Pope Francis

RomeThe first alarm went off on my phone around 1:00 p.m. The second, just half an hour later. Shrill, and with a whistle impossible to miss. Like the alarm they should have sent to Valencia to alert the population about the DANA, but in this case the message is from Italy's Civil Protection, warning that St. Peter's Square in the Vatican will be closed to the public this Friday at 5:00 p.m. The text is written in Italian, English, French, and Spanish so that no one can say they didn't understand it. At 1:00 p.m., however, the square is still full, and streams and streams of people continue arriving, hoping to catch one last glimpse of Pope Francis. before he is buried this Saturday.

It's clear that the Italians have this all under control. No wonder, because they've already buried dozens of popes. Some streets have been cleared to get to Sant Pere Square, others to leave, and there are fences everywhere regulating the flow of people. Several Red Cross emergency camps have also been set up, along with portable toilets, giant screens so people can follow the funeral, and a sort of enormous scaffolding for television cameras. But what's most impressive is the human presence. As soon as you get off the metro at the Ottaviano stop, there are already dozens of volunteers wearing fluorescent vests showing people where to go. The police, carabinieri, the army… There is no lack of security forces, nor helicopters constantly flying over the area.

"Francis was a pope very close to the people. He told us to pray for him, and that's why I came: to pray for him and to see him one last time," says Magali Morales, a 50-year-old Peruvian woman waiting patiently in line to enter St. Peter's Basilica where the Pope's body remains on display for the third consecutive day. Like her, there are thousands of other faithful moved by faith. Some are even hoping for a miracle: "I have a son in the hospital. That's why I came here," confesses Italian Flora Galattola, also in line.

Others, however, are here for a simple anthropological exercise: "We're not believers, but we were on vacation in Rome and were curious to see all this," explains Aki Hakkarainen, who is from Finland and is queuing with his wife. Many others don't want to miss a historic event: "We went out to make some ice cream and then thought it would be interesting to come," says 21-year-old Catalan Laia Anton, who is doing an Erasmus program in Rome.

There are even heavily pregnant women, elderly people on crutches, and people in wheelchairs. They are all given priority to enter Sant Pere Square, but later on they encounter another traffic jam. There are so many people that the wait is inevitable.

Metal detectors

Beneath Bernini's legendary colonnade are the scanners and metal detection arches. There are more than at Terminal 1 of Barcelona Airport. You have to check all your belongings before entering the plaza: bags, backpacks, jackets... And, as at the airport, you also have to be patient. However, there isn't a single push, a bad face, or an ugly word. Nothing. The calm and respect with which everyone waits their turn is striking.

Once in Sant Pere Square, the basilica with its imposing façade is already just a few meters away. However, there's still at least an hour to wait before reaching the gates. Some take the opportunity to take photos with their cell phones. In the background, you can feel the water gushing from the monumental fountains. The place would be especially pleasant, if it weren't for the fact that everyone waiting has been queuing for hours.

Finally, the moment arrives: the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica. Many point at each other as soon as they step inside the church, others touch the entrance door with their hands as if it were supposed to grant them superpowers, and some begin to pray softly. Inside, it's quiet and contemplative, and a wide, fenced walkway has been opened leading the stream of people to the foot of the pontiff's coffin. It's getting closer and closer: five meters, four, three, two, one... Finally!

"No photos, no photos," "don't stop, don't stop," two men in black suits keep repeating, standing right in front of the coffin, obscuring its view. They wave their arms like city guards to force people to keep walking. It's impossible to stop even for a second. Four imperturbable Swiss Guards, resembling wax figures, guard the coffin. On either side, there are also wooden benches and chairs where priests in cassocks and nuns in habits are praying and sitting comfortably. The scene couldn't be more meaningful.

"If Pope Francis were alive, things wouldn't have been done this way," say Tonino and Carla, a retired couple, who traveled from the Italian region of Abruzzo to see the pontiff one last time and lament that they've barely seen him. They literally haven't been given time. "With Benedict XVI, it wasn't like that. They let you get closer," they say. Another woman from Peru also complains about the same thing: "With John Paul II, they gave you time to kneel before him. Here, you couldn't do anything."

Before leaving the basilica, some people try to capture a distant image of the coffin with their cell phones. But there's no way out either. "We will carry Pope Francis in our hearts," another woman agrees, describing him as the Pope of the poor. Some of these poor people were there Thursday night just a few meters from St. Peter's Square, on Via Conciliazione. As usual, some homeless people are sleeping there. One of them, Ahmed, from Pakistan, looked puzzled at the tide of people who continued to arrive in the square at midnight. He didn't know why, he didn't even know the Pope had died.