Monday, April 4 2005 16:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Rome: The funeral of Pope John Paul II will take place Friday (Apr 8, 2005) and Rome is preparing for a gathering of up to two million people, Rome's Mayor Walter Veltroni said today (Apr 4, 2005).

"We are preparing for Friday, which will be an unprecedented moment," Veltroni said on Repubblica Radio.