Mortal remains of Blessed John Paul II entombed

Already at 7 am Wednesday morning queues had formed outside St Peter’s Square waiting patiently to enter the basilica. Once again most of the people forming the lines were from Poland, many of whom have been here since last weekend’s beatification ceremony.

They had come to witness the last act in this rite, pay their respects to the newly Blessed whose mortal remains were entombed in their final resting place at sundown Tuesday evening.

In a note Vatican Press Office director Fr. Lombardi said the wooden coffin was moved from the Altar of Confession and carried in procession to the Chapel of St. Sebastian by staff from the Fabbrica di San Pietro.

Archpriest of the basilica, Cardinal Angelo Comastri presided as ministers from the college of confessors and the Basilica Chapter, several archbishops and bishops and nine cardinals accompanied the coffin. After an initial pause for prayer before the Altar of St. Peter, the singing of the Litany of the Saints Popes, the procession arrived at the altar of St. Sebastian, where the wooden casket containing the remains of John Paul II was placed under the altar. At the end of the Litany, after the invocation repeated three times in the song "Beate Ioanna Paule", the prayer of the new Blessed was recited, and his tomb incensed.

Then the workmen of St Peter’s placed a large white marble slab, with the words: "Beatus Ioannes Paulus PP. II" inscribed on the surface, closing the tomb. Fr Lombardi concludes noting that before leaving the chapel several of these men made kissed the stone in a sign of devotion.