US President George W Bush and former US Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton have arrived in Rome for the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
The US dignitaries have prayed at the bier where the Pope's body is lying in state in St Peter's Basilica.
The queue of pilgrims waiting to view Pope John Paul's body had grown so long that at 9pm Irish time no more were allowed to join it.
Earlier, a spokesman for the civil protection agency said that some 1.2m people had amassed near the Vatican. Pilgrims were waiting in line for between 12 and 14 hours before entering St Peter's Basilica.
Those in the queue by 9pm Irish time have been allowed to continue to queue to pay their respects to the Holy Father. The public viewing will end at 9pm tomorrow night to prepare for the funeral scheduled for Friday.
The city authorities have organised the distribution of water among the crowds, after hundreds of people were treated for fainting and dehydration over the first two days of the Pope's lying in state.
Vatican officials said as many as five million pilgrims were eventually expected to come to Rome to pay homage.
Retired Archbishop of Dublin Cardinal Desmond Connell arrived in Rome yesterday with leading members of the Irish Catholic hierarchy.
Meanwhile, the Vatican has announced that the conclave to elect the successor to Pope John Paul II will commence on Monday 18 April.
It was also announced today that the late Pope did not reveal the name of a cardinal he nominated two years ago 'in pectore' (keeping the name in his heart).
The Pope's will is to be published tomorrow.
Planning of security
Italian authorities are continuing to prepare a huge security plan in Rome to protect world leaders and pilgrims who will be attending Friday's funeral.
Extra police and anti-aircraft missiles are being deployed, and from tomorrow no planes will be allowed to fly over the Italian capital.
The funeral will bring together dozens of world leaders, some of whom rarely, if ever, meet.
The chairs already laid out in St Peter's Square will seat US President George W Bush near President Mohammad Khatami of Iran.
Find out about the process of electing a new Pope here.
