Wednesday, April 6 2005 11:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Vatican City: Close to a million mourners have paid their last respects in front of the body of Pope John Paul II, the Vatican said, as it issued more details yesterday (Apr 5, 2005) of his funeral and said he had left a final testament.

A sea of humanity flooded streets around the Vatican, long lines snaking in the sun from the banks of the Tiber river causing waiting times to rise to up to seven hours, according to some pilgrims.

But despite the queues and the mere seconds allowed to each mourner passing the body lying in state in Saint Peter's Basilica, all said it was worth it.

The Vatican said that, based on the numbers so far, it expected the number of pilgrims to reach the one million mark by the end of Tuesday.

Cardinals have not yet named a date on when to begin the conclave that will elect the next Pontiff after the death late Saturday (Apr 2, 2005) of John Paul II, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said.

He said the cardinals had not opened a testament left by the pope, although he speculated it may contain the identity of a cardinal the pope named in 2003 but whose identity he kept secret.

"At the moment, nobody knows anything about it. Before the Pope's death, it wasn't revealed," Navarro-Valls told reporters.

"We don't know if there is something in the text of the testament left by the pope. Naturally, if there is something we will communicate it when it is read," he said after 88 of the 91 cardinals currently at the Vatican held their third meeting on arrangements for Friday's (Apr 8, 2005) funeral.

A senior Vatican official said that for the first time, cardinals will not be totally isolated during their closed-door deliberations, which under their rules must be between April 17 and 22.

Monsignor Piero Marini, the bishop responsible for liturgical celebrations, said they would be able to move around in the Vatican but would remain banned from contact with the outside world.

He also said that as well as the traditional announcement with white smoke that a new Pope has been elected, bells would peal out from St Peter's.

At the basilica, black-clad ushers and military officers motioned mourners forward, keeping people moving endlessly. The actual moment before the body is fleeting.

St Peter's Square itself was showing signs of wear and tear, with hundreds of empty water bottles, newspapers and food wrappings defying the best efforts of city cleaners.

A dozen mobile medical centers have been set up by the Vatican, Red Cross, Italian hospitals and volunteers working around the clock.

Meanwhile, Rome authorities kicked into high gear amid a security headache for the pope's funeral Friday, when some 200 world leaders are due to converge on the Vatican as well as an estimated two million people on the streets.

Throngs of pilgrims arriving in Rome are being greeted at the main railway station with handouts of water, information on free shuttles to Vatican City, and -- most precious of all -- where to find free lodging.

Thousands more are expected to try to fly in, although air traffic will be severely disrupted for security reasons.