Rome expecting at least 300,000 pilgrims for John Paul's beatification

(March 30,2011) In Rome, the Church and local government organizers are planning to accommodate at least 300,000 people in St. Peter's Square and the surrounding area for Pope John Paul II's beatification Mass on May 1^st. Msgr. Liberio Andreatta, head of Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi , the Vatican-related pilgrimage agency told reporters on Tuesday that Rome is ready to welcome every pilgrim who wants to come. He said earlier, newspapers published huge numbers and said every hotel is booked but thats not true." He added that two campgrounds outside of Rome will be reserved for pilgrims, who want to keep their costs to a minimum.
Msgr. Andreatta also said the diocese is passing the collection basket to large Italian companies, to come up with at least $1.7 million to cover the costs of handling over 300,000 pilgrims for the beatification. He said screens will be placed in the squares around the Vatican and in most of the churches in the historic center of Rome, so that people, who cannot get close to St. Peter's Square, or would prefer to stay away from the crowds, can still follow the Mass. He said an Italian beverage company has donated 1 million bottles of mineral water, and a restaurant chain has donated the ingredients for thousands of box lunches.
Opera Romano Pellegrinaggi has launched a special website -- www.jpiibeatus.org -- to assist pilgrims with reservations and information. The information is available in five languages, including English.