Pope John Paul II, whose 26-year papacy helped defeat Communism in Europe but left a Roman Catholic Church divided over his rigorous orthodoxy, died on Saturday after a prolonged struggle with ill health.
"Our beloved Holy Father John Paul has returned to the house of the Father," said Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, announcing the death to a huge crowd that had gathered under the Pontiff's windows to pray for a miraculous recovery that never came.
The Pope died in his bed at 9:37 p.m (7:37am NZST), surrounded by the only family he had - his closest Polish aides.
As the news spread through Rome, thousands of faithful streamed to the Vatican to join those already there, paying homage to a man who revolutionised his office and took his uncompromising message far beyond the confines of the Vatican.
The slow mourning toll of one of the great bells of St Peter's Basilica was the only sound to break the silence.
Far beyond the Vatican walls, John Paul's death triggered a rare outpouring of global grief, with people of all faiths and none praising his humanity, courage and moral integrity.
The exact 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. Earlier this year it 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 Catholic Church has lost its shepherd. The world has lost a champion of human freedom and a good and faithful servant of God has been called home," US President George W. Bush said in a televised address from the White House.
Two hours after his death, around 130,000 people were in St Peter's Square, police estimated.
Necks craned up toward the lighted windows of the Pope's apartments where his once vigorous body lay.
"I can't believe that's it. I know God will provide a new Pope but we'll miss him so much," said Irishman Adrian McCracken, who apologised for crying.
Lying in state
The Vatican announced that the Pope's body would lie in state for public viewing in St Peter's Basilica from Monday afternoon at the earliest. No date was set for a funeral, but it was not expected to happen before Wednesday.
Many countries decreed periods of national mourning, with his native Poland announcing six days of mourning and Communist Cuba three days. Italy also called for three days of mourning.
Vatican Secretary of State Angelo Sodano will say a Requiem Mass for the Pope on Sunday at 10.30 am in St Peter's Square.
The conclave to elect a new Pope will start in 15 to 20 days, with 117 cardinals from around the globe gathering in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel to choose a successor.
There is no favourite candidate to take over. The former Archbishop Karol Wojtyla of Krakow was himself regarded as an outsider when he was elevated to the papacy on October 16, 1978.
In Poland bells rang out across the country and sirens wailed in the capital Warsaw as news of the death dashed any lingering hopes of a miraculous recovery.
"I am overwhelmed by pain. I have prayed for two days and thought that a miracle will happen, but it didn't happen and now we can only weep," said Teresa Swidnicka in Krakow.
Wojtyla, who saw his country occupied by the Nazis in his late teens, cut his teeth as a clergyman when Poland was run by atheist pro-Soviet communists after World War Two.
Apart from his battle against communism and quest for global peace, John Paul also will be be remembered for his unswerving defence of traditional Vatican doctrines. It drew criticism from liberal Catholics who opposed his proclamations against contraception, abortion, married priests and women clergy.
Globetrotter
The first non-Italian pope in 455 years, John Paul threw off the stiff trappings of the papacy, meeting ordinary people everywhere he travelled - 129 countries and territories in all.
But as the years passed, his energy faded.
Once a lithe athlete and powerful speaker, he suffered a series of health dramas, including a near-fatal shooting by a Turkish gunman in 1981. By the end of his life he could no longer walk and his voice was often reduced to a raspy whisper.
Earlier this year, the breathing crises silenced the great communicator and he failed dramatically in two attempts to address the faithful last Easter Sunday and again on Wednesday.
The Vatican said the Pope had received the Roman Catholic sacrament reserved for the sick and dying.
"The Holy Father's final hours were marked by the uninterrupted prayer of all those who were assisting him in his pious death," a Vatican statement said.
Tributes poured in from around the world.
"The world has lost a religious leader who was revered across people of all faiths and none. He was an inspiration, a man of extraordinary faith, dignity and courage," said British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The Pope was an untiring advocate of Christian unity and inter-religious dialogue. He was the first Pontiff to preach in a Protestant church and a synagogue and to set foot in a mosque.
A decade after witnessing the fall of Communism, the Pope fulfilled another dream. He visited the Holy Land in March 2000, and, praying at Jerusalem's Western Wall, asked forgiveness for Catholic sins against Jews over the centuries.
"We all feel like orphans tonight but our faith teaches us that those who believe in the Lord live in him," Archbishop Renato Boccardo told the crowd at St Peter's.
Some Catholics hope the next Pope will be more liberal.
But John Paul appointed more than 95% of the cardinals who will
elect his successor, thus stacking the odds that his controversial
teachings will not be tampered with.
World News Video
-
Dangerous rush to Everest summit (1:59)
-
Dozens killed in Syrian massacre (2:09)
-
'King of Romance' competes in Eurovision (1:46)
