Vatican City ? Thousands of pilgrims and tourists, including sandal-footed Franciscan monks and curious sightseers from afar, filed down a somber avenue of papal tombs Wednesday to whisper prayers and lower their heads before the final resting place of Pope John Paul II.

Some said they had arrived as early as 5 a.m. local time to stand in line before the gates swung open two hours later on the first day the late pope’s tomb was made available for viewing by the public since his burial last Friday.

Once inside the Vatican Grottos, beneath the marbled floors of the sprawling St. Peter’s Basilica, many of those who came early dropped to their knees in prayer before the tomb’s white marble cover, which bore the gold-inscribed name of the pope whom many believe is on a fast track toward sainthood.

But soon the black-suited and uniformed ushers helped them to their feet and did their best to keep the line moving swiftly.

One of the pilgrims, Teresa Mirabella, who runs a homeless shelter in Chicago, said she was deeply moved as she knelt before the tomb of the late Polish pope.

“So much was going through my mind,” said Mirabella, who was born in Poland. “This was a pope who made a difference. He taught us how to laugh and to reach out to one another. He led us to understand that we must truly love one another and get along with one another. And he showed us how to especially be true to ourselves.”

Mirabella said that although the growing line of visitors eventually was kept on the move, she was allowed to remain behind a nearby column for 15 minutes of private prayer.

“The guard was kind enough to let me stay there,” she said.

People stop inside the grottos of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican in front of the grave of the late Pope John Paul II. The site was opened to the public Wednesday. The grave lies just steps from the tomb traditionally believed to be that of the apostle Peter, the first pope. Many Roman Catholics believe John Paul, who died April 2 at age 84, is already a saint.

Some laid bouquets of flowers on the mosaic floor in front of the tomb while others tossed coins, paper money and notes bearing scrawled prayers offered on behalf of the dead pope — or asking divine favors of him — into two wicker baskets.

A small candle enclosed in red glass is in their midst and a curving wall behind the tomb bears a stone relief of the Madonna and Child flanked by two angels.

The tomb lies in an alcove amid a group of floor-level tombs and sarcophaguses that contain the remains of some of John Paul II’s predecessors, including John Paul I, Paul VI and Pius XII. John Paul’s site once contained the body of Pope John XXIII, whose remains were transferred to the main floor of the basilica after his beatification in 2000.

A few steps farther and to the left is a marbled sanctuary immediately above the tomb that Vatican officials believe contains the remains of St. Peter, the first pope.