MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Multitudes join powerful for Pope's funeral

Presidents, prime ministers and kings from around the world joined hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, prelates and other religious leaders in paying a final farewell Friday to Pope John Paul II in one of the largest religious gatherings in the West in modern times.

A simple cypress coffin bearing Pope John Paul's body has been carried out of St Peter's Basilica as afuneral mass started for the poor and powerful of the earth to say their last goodbye.

A choir sang the Gregorian chant "Grant him Eternal rest o Lord," and the service got under way.

Cardinals wearing white miters processed out onto the square, the wind whipping their red vestments.

Earlier, groggy pilgrims who had camped out on the cobblestones awoke in their sleeping bags to hordes of the faithful stepping over them as they tried to secure a good spot to view the Mass. The square and the boulevard leading to it were a sea of red and white flags waved by pilgrims from John Paul's beloved Poland, many in traditional dress shouting "Polska! Polska!"

American Archbishop James Harvey, head of papal protocol, greeted dignitaries and religious leaders as they emerged from St. Peter's Basilica onto the steps. Many of the officials shook Harvey's hand and offered condolences before mingling and taking their appointed seats.

Turbans, fezzes, yarmulkes, black lace veils, or mantillas, joined the "zucchettos," or skull caps, of Catholic prelates in an extraordinary mix of religious and government leaders from around the world.

Bells tolled as the final leaders took their places on red-cushioned wooden seats. Ten minutes before the scheduled start of the funeral, the U.S. delegation arrived, headed by President Bush and including his father, former President George H.W. Bush, and former President Bill Clinton.

Vatican ushers dressed in white tie and tails seated dignitaries who were given a chance to view John Paul's body before it was carried out of St. Peter's Basilica ? where it has lain in state since Monday ? and into the square.

The funeral was to be celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, dean of the College of Cardinals, a close confidante of John Paul who's been mentioned as a possible successor. After a series of hymns, readings and the homily, Ratzinger will call all to prayer by saying:

"Dear brothers and sisters let us entrust to the most gentle mercy of God, the soul of our Pope John Paul II. ... May the Blessed Virgin Mary ... intercede with God so that he might show the face of his blessed Son to our pope, and console the church with the light of the Resurrection."

The Mass ends with all standing and together singing: "May the angels accompany you into heaven, may the martyrs welcome you when you arrive, and lead you to Holy Jerusalem."

Rome itself was at a standstill. Just after midnight Thursday, a ban took effect on vehicle traffic in the city center. Airspace was closed, and anti-aircraft batteries outside the city were on alert. Naval ships patrolled both the Mediterranean coast and the Tiber River near Vatican City, the tiny sovereign city-state encompassed by the Italian capital.

Italian authorities took extraordinary precautions to protect the royalty and heads of state or government attending the funeral. Jewish and Muslim leaders were among the dignitaries from more than 80 countries, including the presidents of Syria and Iran.

The pope's death on Saturday has elicited a remarkable outpouring of affection around the world and brought an estimated 4 million people to Rome in one of the largest religious gatherings in the West in modern times. Most of the pilgrims, however, can only hope to see the ceremony on giant TV screens that have been erected around the Vatican and in piazzas around Rome.

The funeral begins with an intimate ceremony attended only by high-ranking prelates, who place a pouch of silver and bronze medals and a scrolled account of his life in his coffin.

John Paul's longtime private secretary, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, and the master of the liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Piero Marini, place a white silk veil over the pope's face before the coffin is closed.

A Mass scheduled to last 2 1/2 hours concludes with the body being carried deep under the basilica, where it will join the remains of popes from throughout the ages near the traditional tomb of the apostle Peter, the first pope.

On the eve of the funeral, the Vatican released John Paul's last will and testament, penned in Polish over 22 years beginning five months after his election in October 1978. In it, he said he wanted to be buried "in the bare Earth" and have prayers and Masses celebrated after his death.

He instructed his private secretary to burn his personal notes upon his death. He also suggested he considered resigning in 2000, when his infirmities were already apparent. Revising his will just three days before a historic pilgrimage to the Holy Land, John Paul prayed that God would "help me to recognize up to what point I must continue this service."

On Thursday, the huge bronze doors of St. Peter's, where the pope lay in state since Monday, were closed to the public in preparation for the Mass. In four days, some estimates say nearly 2 million pilgrims passed by his bier to pay their last respects.