Pope John Paul II Dies

Pope Dies

A large bell at Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral rang out 84 times Saturday night in homage to the late Pope John Paul II _ once for each year of his life.

Pope John Paul II, the Polish pontiff who led the Roman Catholic Church for more than 25 years, died Saturday in his Vatican apartment. He was 84.

Mourners flooded the streets of Warsaw on Saturday night carrying flowers and lighting candles for Pope John Paul II in an outpouring of grief and admiration that was repeated around the world.

People from every continent and of many faiths found something in the life of the pope to praise _ his inspiration for the resistance to communism in his Polish homeland, support for better relations with Muslims and Jews, or championing the cause of the poor.

In Paris, the bells of Notre Dame Cathedral sounded 84 times _ once for each year of the pontiff's life.

At Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral, worshippers dropped to their knees and wept when news of the death was announced as hundreds of candles flickered.

President George W. Bush led the United States in mourning Pope John Paul II on Saturday, saying his quarter century as head of the Roman Catholic Church and his lifetime of dedication to freedom and values made him a "hero for the ages.''

Prime Minister Tony Blair praised the late Pope John Paul II Saturday as a heroic religious leader whose bravery inspired people of all faiths. "John Paul never wavered, never flinched, in the struggle for what he thought was good and right."


World leaders echoed their citizens' admiration. "Pope John Paul II wrote history," German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said. "Through his work, and through his impressive personality he changed our world."

French President Jacques Chirac said history "will retain the imprint and the memory of this exceptional sovereign pontiff.''

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe immediately declared a period of national mourning and ordered flags across the country to fly at half staff.

In Cuba, Fidel Castro's Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque hastily called a news conference to express "profound sorrow'' and fondly recall the pope's visit to the island seven years ago.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said the pope will be remembered "as a distinguished religious figure, who devoted his life to defending the values of peace, freedom and equality."

God Bless the Pope!