World mourns John Paul II
2005-04-08 14:28
Krakow - Bells tolled around the globe on Friday and flags hung at half-mast as from the streets of Calcutta to the heart of Africa the world paused to mourn Pope John Paul II, with millions glued to televisions to watch his funeral live.
As presidents and kings of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds joined a million-strong crowd in and around Saint Peter's Square in Rome to bid a final farewell to the pope, many people were watching the proceedings on giant screens erected in public places in their cities.
Other streets in many capitals were eerily deserted during the three-hour ceremony, as people huddled at home to watch the ceremonies transmitted by hundreds of television channels.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who delivered the homily in Rome, expressly included the millions around the globe witnessing the funeral of the most travelled pope in history, who visited some 129 countries.
Even in Iraq
For many it was an occasion to remember how the pope, the first pontiff to become a media star, had reached out to their communities in his 26-year reign, and supported them in their hour of need.
In Baghdad, Iraq's state-owned television Al-Iraqiyah carried the proceedings live with commentary reminding viewers of the pontiff's compassion for the war-torn country and his opposition to the 2002 United States-led war to topple Saddam Hussein's regime.
In Jerusalem, visited by the pope for the Church's Jubilee Year in 2000, state and private television showed the pomp and pagentry in Rome live, remembering how John Paul II had called for greater tolerance in the Holy Land.
Perhaps the biggest crowds were seen in the pope's homeland, Poland, which has been mourning since the death on Saturday of its most famous son, credited with giving his countrymen the courage to stand up and fight communism.
In Krakow, the pope's home for four decades as priest, bishop and cardinal, about 800 000 pilgrims gathered on Blonia esplanade to watch the ceremony on specially erected giant screens.
Roman Catholic schools were closed in largely Catholic Ireland, although the decision by the authorities not to declare a national holiday angered some church leaders.
In India, nuns from the charity set up by late Nobel peace laureate Mother Teresa in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta offered special prayers for the pope.
The pope was also being remembered across Africa. In the South African township of Soweto, a special mass was held in remembrance of the man who had opposed apartheid in their country.
Zambia and Congo both called a day of national mourning. The Congolese government also declared Friday a public holiday with flags flown at half-mast, schools closed and bars and discos shut. - AFP
- SAPA