'Soul is shocked'
Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, celebrated a
Mass Sunday for the repose of the pope's soul Sunday on the steps
of St. Peter's Basilica, calling on the tens of thousands of
people gathered there to pray for "our beloved John Paul."
Applause rang out when Sodano, dressed in golden vestments, prayed
for the pope's soul at the start of the Mass.
"We
entrust with confidence to the risen Christ, Lord of life and
history, our beloved John Paul II who for 27 years guided the
universal church as the successor of Peter," he said.
Applause rang out again during his homily, when he said: "It's
true. Our soul is shocked by a painful event: Our father and
pastor, John Paul II, has left us. However ... he has always
invited us to look to Christ, the only reason for our hope."
He
said John Paul had died "serenely."
Thousands of people streamed toward St. Peter's Square for the
midmorning Mass, joining the faithful who had held an overnight
vigil in the piazza after learning of the death of the pontiff.
The traditional Sunday noontime prayer, which John Paul had
delivered throughout his pontificate, was to follow, the Vatican
said.
Solemn parade
The Mass began with a solemn parade of the College of Cardinals
down the steps of the basilica as a choir sang. Each cardinal,
dressed in flowing white robes with a golden cross on the chest,
kissed the altar before taking his seat.
As
the Mass got under way, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the late pope's
vicar for Rome, formally announced John Paul's death to the people
of Rome in keeping with Vatican tradition, Italy's ANSA news
agency reported.
Pilgrims jammed the piazza and the Via della Conciliazione
boulevard leading toward it, coming from every direction. Some
walked their dogs, others lifted small children up on their
shoulders to see better. Still others carried rosaries or the
flags of their country. Many were the red and white colors from
John Paul's native Poland.
Police estimated the crowd at 50,000. First aid stations and
ambulances lined the avenue in case any of the pilgrims needed
help.
Sadness and joy
"It's a historic event," said Ercole Ferri, a 72-year-old Roman
who proudly showed off a list of the six popes he has lived
through. "It's not something sad for me. I think of all that he
has done."
Others though felt sadness, even though John Paul had reportedly
urged his aides to feel joy and hope in his final hours.
"Joy, even if everyone feels like an orphan today," said Giulia
Caiani, an Italian 24-year-old student who spent the night camped
out in sleeping bags with friends on the square.
"He
was a wonderful guide. We have no guide now, there's no longer his
voice, or his presence," she said.
Before the Mass started, pilgrims watched four large screens
placed about the square to allow the throngs who couldn't see the
altar to follow the proceedings. Each time the camera narrowed in
on someone holding up an image of the pope, people burst into
applause.
The
Vatican announced that John Paul died at 9:37 p.m. Saturday after
a long public struggle against debilitating illness. He was 84.
The body will be transferred from the Clementine Hall in the
Apostolic Palace around 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) Monday for public
viewing in St. Peter's Basilica.
World reaction
"The world has lost a champion of peace and freedom" with the
death of the pope, President Bush said in Washington.
Israel’s Shimon Peres said the pope's greatness cut across
religious divides. “Even though he represented Catholicism, he
managed, with his talent and personality, to also represent our
entire global partnership,” he said.
Palestinian leader Mamoud Abbas called the Pope "a great religious
figure who devoted his life to defending the values of peace,
freedom, justice and equality for all races and religions, as well
as our people's right to independence."
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said, "We remember that during the
years of Afghanistan's occupation by the Soviet Union, the Pope
raised his voice of support to the Afghan people.
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said the pope was
“humanitarian number one on the planet”.
Cause of death not given
The cause of death was not given but the pope’s health had
deteriorated steadily over the past decade with the onset of
Parkinson’s disease and arthritis, and earlier this year took a
sharp turn for the worse.
He
had an operation in February to ease serious breathing problems,
but never regained his strength and last Thursday developed an
infection and high fever that soon precipitated heart failure,
kidney problems and ultimately death.
The
Vatican chamberlain formally verified the death and destroyed the
symbols of the pope’s authority: his fisherman’s ring and dies
used to make lead seals for apostolic letters.
The
Vatican did not say if the chamberlain followed the ancient
practice of verification by calling the pope’s name three times
and tapping his forehead three times with a silver hammer.
The
Vatican has declined to say whether he left instructions for his
funeral or burial. Most popes in recent centuries have asked to be
buried in the crypts below St. Peter’s Basilica, but some have
suggested the first Polish-born pope might have chosen to be laid
to rest in his native country.
After word of the death spread, thousands of people from all over
Rome, many with tears streaming down their faces, walked silently
up the broad boulevard leading from the River Tiber to the
Vatican.
According to church rules, the pontiff’s mourning rites will last
nine days.
The
conclave to elect a new pope will start in 15 to 20 days, with 117
cardinals from around the world gathering in the Vatican’s Sistine
Chapel to choose a successor.
There is no favorite candidate to take over. John Paul, former
Archbishop Karol Wojtyla of Krakow, was himself regarded as an
outsider when he was elevated to the papacy on Oct. 16, 1978.
