Thousands visiting tomb of John Paul II each day

Vatican City, Oct 19, 2007 / 07:56 am

Officials at St. Peter’s Basilica said this week the tomb of John Paul II, located in the catacombs of the church, receives an uninterrupted number of visitors, fluctuating between seven and twenty thousand per day.

Officials said the constant flow of pilgrims to the tomb of Pope Wojtyla requires special management by basilica officials.  The usual flow is around seven to ten thousand visitors per day, but on days in which there are public events in St. Peter’s Square or at the Paul VI Hall the number swells to twenty thousand.