VATICAN CITY, Feb 18, 2011 (AFP) - The Vatican on Friday said late pope John Paul II's coffin will lie in state after his beatification on May 1 and warned the two million plus pilgrims expected against possible ticket touts.
The coffin, which is currently in a crypt under Saint Peter's, will be displayed inside the basilica after the beatification ceremony and he will then buried "in private" in the basilica, the Vatican said in a statement.
John Paul died in 2005 and was replaced by Pope Benedict XVI.
The beatification, which comes after Vatican authorities attributed a miracle to John Paul earlier this year, is the first step to sainthood.
The Vatican has said it expects as many as two and a half million people to flock to Rome from around the world to honour the popular Polish pope.
The coffin, which is currently in a crypt under Saint Peter's, will be displayed inside the basilica after the beatification ceremony and he will then buried "in private" in the basilica, the Vatican said in a statement.
John Paul died in 2005 and was replaced by Pope Benedict XVI.
The beatification, which comes after Vatican authorities attributed a miracle to John Paul earlier this year, is the first step to sainthood.
The Vatican has said it expects as many as two and a half million people to flock to Rome from around the world to honour the popular Polish pope.
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