The Hindu : Front Page : Millions bid farewell to Pope John Paul II

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 09, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

Millions bid farewell to Pope John Paul II

By Vaiju Naravane

German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, blesses the casket of Pope John Paul II during the funeral in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, on Friday. Photo: AP.

PARIS, APRIL 8. Millions of people across the world today bid an emotional farewell to Pope John Paul II, one of the most influential and popular Popes of all times, in an elaborate and solemn funeral at the Vatican that was televised live around the globe.

The "People's Pope" or the "Travelling Pope," who died on April 2 at the age of 84, was laid to rest alongside other pontiffs in the crypt of Saint Peter's Basilica.

The U.S. President, George Bush, the German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, the French President, Jacques Chirac, the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and royals and leaders from over 80 countries attended the open air mass where the Pope's body lay in a plain cedar wood coffin, stamped with a brown cross and the letter M. The symbols, which represent Christ and Virgin Mary, were also part of his official seal.

An open, red-bound New Testament was placed on top of the coffin, its pages flickering in the wind. In the coffin, prelates had placed special medals minted by the Vatican during Pope John Paul II's reign as well as a scroll recounting his life.

Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo, the official known as the Cardinal Camerlengo and who is in temporary charge of the Vatican until a new Pope is appointed, covered the Pope's face with a white silk veil and sprinkled his body with holy water before the coffin was closed.

Sea of humanity

St. Peter's Square was crammed with over 3,00,000 people and an estimated 7,00,000 filled the nearby streets to watch the mass on giant video screens. Many of them chanted, clapped and waved their national flags. At one point, the crowd almost interrupted the three-hour-long ceremony when people began chanting "Santo Subito" (Sainthood Now), calling for his immediate canonisation.

An estimated one million Polish people came to Rome by bus, car, train and plane. Poland's delegation included its President, Aleksander Kwasniewski, and his predecessor, Lech Walesa.

After the mass, lasting almost three hours, the coffin was carried inside the basilica to be buried in the crypt close to the spot believed to contain the body of St. Peter, the apostle chosen by Jesus Christ to found his church.

During his homily, the officiating priest, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, said that John Paul II had borne "a burden which transcends merely human abilities."

In a voice trembling with emotion, Cardinal Ratzinger, described by Vatican insiders as "tough and uncompromising," recalled how the Pope had appeared at a window in the Vatican to bless believers on Easter Sunday, six days before his death, when he could no longer speak.

"Our Pope never wanted to spare his own life, but gave himself unreservedly for Christ until his last moment. Now we can be sure that our beloved pope is at the window of God's house, where he sees and blesses us," he said.

World leaders, including the U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and Mr. Bush, sat on the left-hand side of the esplanade while the other side was occupied by red-robed Cardinalswill meet in a secret conclave on April 18 to start the process of electing the next Pope.

Swiss guards in yellow and purple uniforms and scarlet-plumed helmets stood by as Catholic prelates took their seats — bishops in purple and cardinals in red.

On Thursday, the Vatican published the Pope's final testament in which he said he had thought of resigning five years ago at the age of 80, as his illness progressed. "May the mercy of God give me the necessary strength for this service," he wrote in 2000. He had also entertained the idea of being buried in his native Poland but finally decided to leave the final funeral arrangements to the College of Cardinals.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section

Millions bid farewell to Pope John Paul II

Cess on farm exports to go

India, China to agree on protocol on CBMs

It's just not cricket

Once again, batsmen will call the shots

No immediate hike?

Telgi to confess

Cabinet nod for second administrative reforms panel

Notice on poaching

Court directs AIIMS to examine Kanshiram

Kanishka: new decision

Cross-examination of Bilkis continues