ROME -- Tens of thousands of Jubilee pilgrims have lined up to see the remains of Padre Pio in various locations in Rome, with queue waiting times reaching two and a  half hours. The Saint's remains, along with those of Saint Leopold Mandic (1866-1942), arrived in Rome on Wednesday for veneration as part of the jubilee celebrations.

 On Thursday they were displayed at the San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura basilica, crowds gathering outside from as early as 6.30am. At the famous Verano cemetery for the second consecutive day crowds of visitors of all ages and beliefs gathered for a chance to glimpse the holy remains, some remaining up until midnight.

 "We are part of a group that left early this morning from the province of Viterbo," recounted Gilda and Pina, two members of the crowd. "We are 220 people in total, and we arrived in four coaches. Padre Pio is a saint that we feel is very close to us, and we go to San Giovanni Rotondo [where the remains arrived] every year on pilgrimage."

 On Friday the Saints were celebrated together at a mass in San Salvatore in Lauro, where some of Padre Pio's relics are still housed. The mass will be followed by a procession to St. Peter's Basilica where a special audience with Pope Francis will take place on Saturday. They will remain on display in the basilica until Thursday Feb. 11. Roads on the procession route have been evacuated to make room.

 Padre Pio, known formally as St. Pius of Pietrelcina, has always been beloved by worshippers but was in fact originally an adversary of the Church who faced accusations over the alleged faking of his stigmata and "caressing young women" as well as paying journalists for favourable publicity.

 The Saint was known to sometimes make predictions about people's lives, and on occasion refused to confess those who he felt hadn't adequately shown repentance for their sins. In 1947, among the thousands he confessed, was a young Polish priest who was later to become Pope John Paul II.

 A legend was born from the visit in which Padre Pio was supposed to have told the priest, "You will become pope, but I also see blood and violence on you".

 In 1963, Pope Paul VI dismissed all accusations against Padre Pio, and the monk died five years later on September 23, 1968.