Pope's grave visited by thousands

Many pilgrims paused to pray by the side of the tomb

Thousands of pilgrims have been filing past the simple marble tomb of Pope John Paul II, which has gone on public display for the first time.

Many queued for hours to be first in line when the crypt under St Peter's Basilica was opened at dawn.

On Tuesday night around 100 cardinals, who will elect the Pope's successor, came to pray in private at the tomb.

They are said to have signed a petition calling on the next pope to accelerate procedures to make John Paul a saint.

Many of the pilgrims paused to pray at the tomb, which is decorated with lilies and with a perpetual red oil lamp burning at its foot. They gave items to an usher who touched them to the tomb before handing them back.

Some came hoping for a miracle. "I'm praying to him that my husband gets his eyesight back," said Myrna Palmer, 67, of Maryland, US.

Fast-track canonisation

Queues began to form almost three hours before the crypt opened to the public at 0700 (0500GMT).

The tomb - inscribed with his name in Latin, Ioannes Paulus II, and the years of his papacy, 1978-2005 - is in an alcove near his predecessors, John Paul I and Paul VI.

See an enlarged image of the Pope's tomb Enlarge Image

The crypt contains the remains of 60 other popes - including St Peter, who the Bible says was called by Jesus to be the first leader of the Church.

Before filing past the tomb in pairs on Tuesday, the cardinals held a further meeting to discuss the affairs of the Church, and in particular its finances.

Some 115 cardinals are due to enter conclave to vote for a new pope on 18 April.

Italian media reports that the cardinals - the "princes" of the Roman Catholic Church - signed a petition asking the next pope to put John Paul II on the fast track for sainthood.

The archbishop in charge of the commission that investigates claims for sainthood told reporters on Monday that the process of canonising the late Pope could begin as early as October, and result in his sainthood within six months.

Canonisation is not usually considered until at least five years after a person's death.

But Pope John Paul II himself speeded up the normal process to beatify Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Miracles reported

The BBC's Robert Pigott in Rome says the new pope may be less keen on a rapid canonisation for John Paul II, as his actions will tend to be judged on how they fit in with the late Pope's powerful and distinctive legacy.

If John Paul II is quickly declared a saint, his successor's job could be made more difficult, our correspondent says.

Already several claims of miracles have been reported.

A four-year-old leukaemia victim in Mexico is said to have recovered from the disease after John Paul II kissed him on a visit to the town of Zacatecas.

Two Italian newspapers quoted John Paul II's secretary, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, as saying that an American recovered from incurable cancer after receiving Holy Communion from the Pope.

Brazilian Cardinal Francesco Marchisano told La Repubblica that he recovered his ability to speak after the Pope touched his throat following medical treatment that had left his vocal cords paralysed.

One of the prerequisites for sainthood is that the nominee should have performed a miracle.