Friday 10th October

Coliseum, Rome

We commenced the day by visiting the Coliseum, the Forum, the Arch of Constantine.  We then proceeded to the River Tiber, St.Angelo Bridge, and Castle St. Angelo.


Roman Arch

Castle St. Angelo &River Tiber

Awaiting the body of the Pope

After lunch we gathered with the crowds outside St. Peters and waited until about 5.30p.m. to see the coffin of Pius XII passed by, into St. Peter’s from Castle Gondolfo (where he died).  Our long wait was rewarded, as we were quite in the front of the huge crowd, and managed to get some photographs as the coffin went slowly by.  It was most moving , with many hundreds of priests and monks preceding the hearse.




Funeral of the Pope



Pope Pius XII entering St. Peters

Utterly exhausted we returned to the hotel in the evening.