Cardinals Formally End John Paul's Reign
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Cardinals destroyed Pope John Paul II's ring and lead seal Saturday to formally end his reign, while the Vatican expressed confidence that jamming devices and other unprecedented precautions would keep the name of the new pope secret until it is announced to the world from a balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square.
The official nine-day mourning period for John Paul, which began with a funeral attended by world leaders and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, ended with a Mass celebrated Saturday afternoon in St. Peter's Basilica.
The destruction of John Paul's Fisherman's Ring and the seal marked a symbolic end of the pope's 26-year reign and came during the cardinals' last meeting before they sequester themselves in the Sistine Chapel beginning Monday to choose a successor.
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said "specialized technicians" of the Vatican Gendarmeria had made sure no communications could emerge from the chapel and he said he was confident that no leaks would emerge from the conclave.
He said even he won't know the name of the new pope until the announcement of "habemus papam" - "We have a pope."
"I prefer not to know," Navarro-Valls said. "It will be an event that we will all experience together, at the same level."
The Vatican Gendarmeria were responsible for all security surrounding the conclave, he said, ruling out speculation that experts from outside had been brought in to debug the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican hotel and other rooms where cardinals will meet.
Asked if the measures would prevent cell phone calls and communication devices from working in the Sistine Chapel, Navarro-Valls suggested that journalists visiting the chapel on Saturday give it a try.
"Try them, and if they work, it went badly," he said.
During the visit, many cell phones didn't work, but a few did have reception. A Swiss Guard said he did not know whether other measures would be taken.
Guards said the jamming devices were under a false floor on which the cardinals will sit.
During the conclave, cardinals will have no access to anyone who hasn't taken an oath of secrecy.
The main courtyard of the Apostolic Palace will be sealed; tourists will be barred from the dome of St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican gardens; and nobody will be allowed on the path between the cardinals' hotel and the chapel.
Housekeepers, drivers and elevator operators who have contact with the cardinals were among those who took an oath of secrecy on Friday, promising not to divulge anything they might learn.
The 115 cardinals under the age of 80 who are taking part in the conclave will move into the Domus Sanctae Marthae hotel on Sunday afternoon and will have dinner together, he said.
They will celebrate a Mass Monday morning and begin processing into the Sistine Chapel that afternoon. They will then take their oath of secrecy and hear a meditation from a senior cardinal.
"On Monday, April 18, 115 cardinals from 52 countries representing five continents will begin the first conclave of the third millennium to elect the 264th successor of St. Peter," the first pope, Navarro-Valls said.
During the conclave, the cardinals will celebrate morning Mass in the chapel of their hotel, then be in the Sistine Chapel for an initial two rounds of morning balloting, he said. They will return for two rounds of afternoon balloting.
Cardinals will decide only after taking their oath Monday afternoon whether they will take a first vote later that day or wait until Tuesday.
Navarro-Valls said smoke signals from burned ballot papers could likely be seen at around noon or around 7 p.m. - unless a winner has been elected following the first ballot of the session.
A two-thirds majority, or 77 votes, is necessary for a winner. If after about 30 ballots no winner has emerged, an absolute majority of the cardinals decides how to proceed, either for a vote by an absolute majority or by balloting between two candidates, he said.
Navarro-Valls said he had been assured that the chemicals added to the burned ballot papers would make it very clear whether the smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel chimney was black - indicating no winner - or white, signaling a pope has been found.
Navarro-Valls stressed that during the week of pre-conclave meetings that cardinals have been holding to discuss the problems facing the church, never once was the name of a papal candidate brought up.
"The climate of these congregations has been one of great familiarity," he said. "This has been perhaps an expression of the great responsibility that all the cardinals feel at this time."
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Pope John Paul II's coffin is carried out from the inside of St. Peter's Basilica.
The funeral of Pope John Paul II took place today in Vatican City, in front of St. Peter's Basilica. The Pope died on April 2 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease and several other health problems.

Over four million people went to Rome to attend the funeral. The number of people present was so large that it was not possible for everybody to gain access to the funeral in St. Peter's Square. Several large television screens were installed in various places in Rome to let the people watch the ceremony. In many other cities of Italy and in the rest of the world, particularly in Poland, similar setups were made, which were viewed by a great number of people.

A large number of high-ranking representatives of many countries, as well as many representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and of several other Churches, were present at the ceremony. Among these were U.S. President George W. Bush, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, and French President Jacques Chirac.

A young John Paul II.
The high number of people present in Rome and the presence of many important heads of state caused serious logistical and security problems for the Italian Government.

Speculation has already emerged that the late Pope may soon be made a saint; he has been referred to as "The Great," a title only bestowed on three of his 263 predecessors - and on none since the ninth century; many pilgrims in the crowd chanted "Santo! Santo!," expressing their desire for him to be elevated to this stature.  Some pilgrims held banners reading ''Santo Subito'', meaning "Sainthood Now."

Following the funeral, the body of the Pope was laid to rest beneath St. Peter's Basilica in a private ceremony. Buried with him was a bag of commemorative medals and a scroll with an account of his life.