Excited Catholics Already Lining Up, For Pope's Funeral

[SexyCityGlen]

Excited Catholics Already Lining Up For Pope's Funeral

VATICAN CITY—Their numbers reaching into the hundreds, excited Catholics are lining up in front of St. Peter's Basilica in the hopes of scoring a seat for the upcoming funeral of Pope John Paul II.

Sipping hot cocoa Monday while seated in a folding chair, Salvatore Bruni, 56, a Florence tailor, said he has been in line since Feb. 10.

"I don't know how much longer I'll have to wait, but whether it's five days or five months, it'll be well worth it," said Bruni from his position near the front of the queue. "This is going to be a funeral I'll never forget."

For all the faithful's enthusiasm, some observers say the queued Catholics are wasting their time, insisting that they will be squeezed out of the funeral by the countless heads of state and other dignitaries that will descend upon the Vatican from around the world.

"When [the pope] dies, it will be an unbelievable event. Everybody who's anybody will be there," said Dr. Lawrence Shear, dean of the Yale School of Divinity. "The media requests alone could fill that basilica. Since the Vatican is always looking for the kind of coverage the death of a major leader brings, the devoted will be out of luck."

Continued Shear: "I think the best those poor Catholics can hope for is to be interviewed about their feelings on the pope's passing by local TV news affiliates while wailing in St. Peter's Square."