Tens of thousands of mourners in St Peter's Square in Rome are attending an open-air Mass in honour of Pope John Paul II, who has died at 84. Up to 100,000 people held a candlelit vigil overnight in the square, under the window of the apartment where he died on Saturday evening. Many of the pilgrims said prayers, while others wept openly. His body is expected to lie in state in St Peter's Basilica next week before his funeral.
Sunday's Requiem Mass is being celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, widely regarded as the second highest official in the Vatican hierarchy. The funeral date has not been set but it is not expected before Wednesday. It could be weeks before Church leaders elect a successor. John Paul II's 26-year pontificate was the third-longest ever, and the Pole was also the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years. Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski described John Paul II as one of the greatest creators of modern times and someone who "moved heaven and earth". US President George W Bush said the world had lost a champion of freedom. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was deeply saddened by the death of a Pope whom he described as a tireless advocate of peace.
The Pope died in his private apartment at the Vatican at 2137 local time (1937 GMT) on Saturday, surrounded by his closest Polish aides.
had been suffering heart and kidney problems. His death was quickly announced to the crowds gathered in St Peter's Square. The news was met with long applause, an Italian sign of respect, followed by several minutes of silence as the crowd took in the news. People in the square stood in groups, comforting one other.
"It is as if our father has died. There is a deep sense of loss and emptiness," said 28-year-old Mario Deluca.
In Poland, some people fell to their knees and wept when the news reached them.
The Italian government declared three days of mourning.
THE POPE'S LIFE
1920 - Born near Krakow, Poland
1964 - Archbishop of Krakow
1978 - Elected first non-Italian Pope for 450 years
1981 - Assassination attempt
2002 - Final visit to homeland
The Cardinal Chamberlain of the Roman Catholic Church, Eduardo Martinez Somalo, is now in charge of the day-to-day running of the Vatican's affairs. He has to seal the papal apartments and summon the cardinals from around the world to elect the Pope's successor. The cardinals, many of whom are already on their way to Rome, must meet no more than 20 days after the Pope's death to choose a successor. A preliminary meeting has been arranged for Monday morning.
The Pope had been admitted to hospital twice in the past two months after suffering breathing problems. His condition deteriorated suddenly on Thursday night with a high fever caused by an infection of the urinary tract. The Pope's illness was exacerbated by the progress of Parkinson's Disease, an incurable condition from which he had been suffering for nearly a decade. He appeared briefly at the window of his Vatican apartment on Easter Sunday to bless the faithful, but was unable to speak. Karol Wojtyla became Pope in 1978, taking a conservative stand on issues like abortion and contraception. He was the most widely travelled pope and visited more than 120 countries during his pontificate. |