With Pope John Paul II's funeral beginning today, students studying abroad in Rome have been overwhelmed by the massive crowds and historical significance of the event.
Although only high-ranking clergy and international dignitaries will be allowed inside St. Peter's Basilica for the ceremony, large screens will be set up in several of Rome's main public places to accommodate the approximately 2 million pilgrims who are expected to flock to the area.
College junior Carolyn Schogol is one of 11 Penn students studying in Rome this semester and one of millions of people who will be watching the live telecast of the funeral proceedings.
In an e-mail interview, Schogol described Rome as "coming to a grinding halt" for the funeral, adding that "all shops, businesses and schools will be closed" today.
People from all over the world have gathered in Rome during the week to view the pope's body, which was on display to the public starting Monday.
"The public transportation system has been totally overwhelmed, traffic is at a complete standstill and nearly every public area is filled with people looking for a place to sleep," Schogol wrote.
Schogol visited the pope's body at St. Peter's on Tuesday morning and described the lines to see John Paul II as "incredible."
The wait has been as long as 24 hours.
Once inside the basilica, Schogol wrote, "some people cried, others just walked by and crossed themselves, and of course many people snapped pictures with their cameras on their cell phones."
Edward Peters, a Penn professor of History who specializes in Church history, said the massive turnout for the pope's funeral is unprecedented.
Peters said that the fact that John Paul II is the most traveled pope in history may have contributed to the diverse crowds.
After becoming pope in 1978, John Paul II traveled over 70,000 miles and visited over 120 countries.
"He has reached a lot of people -- Catholics and non-Catholics alike," Peters said, adding that the pope had an extremely large sphere of influence.
Only 300 people will be allowed to attend the funeral. In addition to high-ranking clergy, many world leaders will be on hand, including President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The actual proceedings of the funeral, Peters said, will follow a set script of routines and prayers established in the 12th century.
The pope will be entombed in three caskets -- one of cypress, one of lead and one of elm. A copy of the eulogy from the funeral mass will be placed in the cypress coffin, along with bags of silver, gold and copper coins representing the number of years of the pontiff's papacy.
The pope's name and the duration of his leadership will be engraved into the lead casket, which will be placed inside the elm casket, which will be sealed with golden nails.
In the midst of a ceremony steeped in tradition, some students studying in Rome also said that they felt honored to be there during such a historic moment.
Sara Levine, a College junior whose apartment in Rome is five minutes from St. Peter's, said that the experience of being so close to the events is "definitely something [the students abroad] will never forget."
"It was amazing to see a place we had been to so often and was so close to where we lived all over the news," she wrote in an e-mail interview.
Schogol echoed Levine's awe of the situation.
"Rome is absolutely incredible right now, and you can feel history in the making," she wrote.
Though Schogol and Levine both expressed an appreciation for the series of events that is unfolding in the city, officials at Penn cautioned students to be aware of their surroundings.
"The crush of people and logistics may be busy, confusing and overwhelming to students," said Shannon Donoghue, an adviser in the Office of International Programs in charge of programs in Italy. "It's important for students to make sure they are executing the utmost caution."
