The masses of people waiting in line to catch a last glimpse of the Pope were held back as the US delegates had a moment to pay their respects. President George W. Bush, his wife - First Lady Laura, former Presidents Bush and Clinton, along with Condoleezza Rice, kneeled next to the Pope’s body and prayed Wednesday evening at St. Peter’s Basilica.
The list of notables attending Friday’s funeral includes representatives from over 200 nations, such as President Hamid Karzaj from Afghanistan, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan from Turkey, and President Wiktor Juszczenko from the Ukraine. Europe’s representatives include German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, French President Jacques Chirac, Great Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the director of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso. Polish President Andrzej Kwasniewski and former President Lech Walesa will also be present. Monarchs are no exception; King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain will attend. Queen Elizabeth II will be represented by the heir to the throne, Prince Charles. Representatives of different religions are also expected. Bartholomew I, patriarch of Constantinople and head of the Orthodox Church, will attend the ceremonies.
Who will be missing? For one, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, even though in 2003 he had the honor to personally meet with the Pope. Aleksy II, patriarch of the Orthodox Church in Russia will also be absent. The Russian Orthodox Church has criticized the Vatican in the past, accusing them of trying to convert Russia to Catholicism.
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