Rome readies itself for final farewell

THE greatest number of heads of state and religious leaders to ever gather in the Vatican will attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II on Friday morning.

President Mary McAleese will represent the Irish people and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will also be present.

For the first time ever a US president will attend. George W Bush, with whom the Pope disagreed about the Iraqi war, is travelling with his wife Laura.