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VATICAN CITY, Apr 6 (AFP): Around 100 cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church convened another meeting in the Vatican Wednesday to finalise arrangements for Pope John Paul II's funeral and to consider a date for the election of his successor, Vatican sources said.
The cardinals, who have been meeting every day this week since the pope's death Saturday, have to decide when to start the closed-doors conclave that must elect the new pope, as well as putting the finishing touches on details of his funeral Friday.
Around a million pilgrims were massed early Wednesday in the area around St Peter's Basilica, where the body of Pope John Paul II is lying in state, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
Streets in the surrounding area were packed with mourners keen to pay their last respects-tightly-packed queues stretched more than two kilometres (1.2 miles) in the bright sun, with a waiting time of up to 12 hours.
Meanwhile around 100 cardinals convened another secret meeting to finalise arrangement for the pope's funeral Friday, expected to draw about 200 leaders from around the world and at least two million people on the streets.
The cardinals, who have been meeting every day this week since the pope's death Saturday, also have to decide when to start their closed-doors conclave that must elect the new pontiff.
Under Vatican rules, the conclave must begin between 15 and 20 days after a pope's death, which in this case would mean April 17 at the earliest.
Another report from Paris adds: France's state rail company SNCF said Wednesday it had added two special trains to Rome, with a total of 1,700 places, at the request of a Catholic group wanting to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
The SNCF had already planned to operate two night trains to Rome before Friday's funeral, which are booked solid, and three high-speed TGV trains.
The two special trains added at the "exceptional request" of the Community of Emmanuel will leave Paris late Wednesday from the gare d'Austerlitz, an SNCF spokeswoman said.
She noted that the rail company had seen increased reservations on TGV trains from Paris to the Riviera city of Nice, a possible stop on the way to Rome.
John Paul II, who died Saturday, will be laid to rest Friday beneath Saint Peter's Basilica.
BBC adds: Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian will attend Pope John Paul II's funeral Friday, Taiwan's foreign ministry said.
His presence at the service is likely to anger China, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory, and which broke off ties with the Vatican in 1951.
A Taiwanese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Michael Lu, said the Italian government had agreed to issue visas for Chen.
Chen's planned visit comes amid speculation the Vatican may be prepared to recognise China instead of Taiwan.
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