Pope John Paul II dies
Vatican officials confirm death of the Polish pontiff from kidney failure, St. Peter's Square mass scheduled for Sunday
Pope John Paul II, the Polish pontiff who led the Roman Catholic Church for more than a quarter century and became history's most-traveled pope, died Saturday night in his Vatican apartment. He was 84.
The announcement came from papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls and was distributed to journalists via e-mail.
"The Holy Father died this evening at 9:37 p.m. (2:37 p.m. EST) in his private apartment. All the procedures outlined in the apostolic Constitution `Universi Dominici Gregis' that was written by John Paul II on Feb. 22, 1996, have been put in motion."
A Mass was scheduled for St. Peter's Square for Sunday morning.
The pope died after suffering heart and kidney failure following two hospitalizations in as many months. Just hours earlier, the Vatican said he was in "very serious" condition but had responded to members of the papal household.
President Moshe Katsav said following the death of Pope John Paul II “The Jewish people will remember him as someone who stood bravely and ended an historic injustice, as he officially refuted prejudices and accusations against the Jews.”
“On behalf of the Israeli nation and government, we send our condolences to the Catholic Church and to the Pope’s followers,” Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said following the death of Pope John Paul II Saturday.
“It is a great loss, first and foremost to the Catholic Church and its millions of believers, but also to all of mankind. John Paul II led the Catholic Church toward improved relations with Israel and the Jewish nation,” he said.
President George W. Bush led the U.S. in mourning the Pope Saturday, saying, “A good and faithful servant of God has been called home.”
“The world has lost a champion of peace and freedom,” he said.
The world awaited and prayed
Roman Catholics around the world waited and prayed as Pope John Paul II slid towards death, after a 26-year reign that helped undermine Soviet communism and vigorously upheld long-standing Vatican doctrines.
Tens of thousands held an emotional vigil in St. Peter's Square deep into Friday night after Vatican officials said the Pope's health was fading fast.
"Stay with us. Don't leave us," the crowds chanted and many wept uncontrollably as they gazed up at the Papal apartments, where just two lights blazed.
"This evening or tonight, Christ opens the doors to the Pope," Monsignor Angelo Comastri said in St Peter's Square as he led a prayer session.
Police estimated that as many as 70,000 people were in the vast, floodlit square as Saturday dawned, to be near the man who enjoyed the third-longest papacy in history and was a key world figure of the late 20th century.
Earlier unconfirmed Italian media reported the Pope had already died. The Vatican, however, denied the reports.
In a bulletin on Friday evening, the Vatican said John Paul's heart and kidneys were failing, his breathing was shallow and his blood pressure had dropped to dangerously low levels
Earlier Friday, Church officials tried to prepare the faithful for the close of one of the longest papal reigns in history after the Vatican said the long-ailing Pope had declined further hospital treatment.
"The general conditions and cardio-respiratory conditions of the Holy Father have further worsened," said Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls.
"A gradual worsening of arterial hypotension has been noted, and breathing has become shallow. The clinical picture indicates cardio-circulatory and renal insufficiency. The biological parameters are notably compromised."
Sky Italia Television said the Pope had lost consciousness but there was no independent confirmation.
"In these conditions there is no longer any hope and there is a loss of consciousness," Anaesthetist Vincenzo Carpino later told Italy's Ansa news agency.
Cardinals summoned
The Pope received the blessing for the dying after his health suddenly deteriorated overnight, drawing anguished prayers on Friday from Catholics around the globe reluctant to accept his end may be near.
"The Holy Father -with visible participation - is joining in the continual prayers of those assisting him," said Navarro-Valls.
Catholics flocked to churches to light candles and pray for the man who became Pope in 1978 and revitalized the papacy. Groups of faithful gathered in the Vatican's vast St. Peter's Square, some gazing up at the papal apartments.
Earlier, Jews in Rome held a special prayer session for the Pope's health.
Meanwhile, Cardinals were summoned to the Polish-born Pope's bedside to say their farewells in person.
"What I'm doing now is praying that the crossing to the other life may be painless and peaceful," said Cardinal Godfried Danneels, archbishop of Brussels-Mechelen in Belgium.
-Ynetnews contributed to this report
