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Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient
His Holiness Pope John Paul II
Vatican Funeral of His Holiness Pope John Paul II April 8, 2005
"Do Not Be Afraid..."
The service began with the opening procession.
VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II is now in his final resting place. He has been buried in the grotto under St. Peter's Basilica.
The pope had requested he be interred "in the bare earth," to be covered by a simple stone marker that states just his name and the years he was born and died. He was buried among past popes and near the tomb traditionally believed to be that of the apostle Peter -- the first pope.
Before he was buried, the wooden coffin was definitively closed with red bands and both papal and Vatican seals. It was placed in a second casket of zinc, and then within a third of walnut.
Unlike his funeral Mass, the burial was closed to the public. Instead, it was witnessed by top church officials. And the service ended with the words: "Lord, grant him eternal rest, and may perpetual light shine upon him."
The crowd of hundreds of thousands in the square cheered and a giant bell tolled while formally dressed Vatican ushers carried away John Paul's simple cypress casket.
Hundreds of dignitaries were on hand as the pontiff was remembered as a "priest to the last." Many in the crowd chanted John Paul's name in several languages while holding up signs asking that he be named a saint.
Presidents, prime ministers and kings from around the world joined hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, prelates and other religious leaders at the funeral.
It was one of the largest religious gatherings in the West in modern times.
Applause rang out in St. Peter's Square as John Paul's simple wooden coffin -- adorned with a cross and the "M" for Mary -- was brought out into the windy square. It was placed on the ground in front of the altar. The book of the Gospel was placed on the coffin and the breeze blew the pages.
Cardinals wearing white miters filed out onto the square, the wind whipping their red vestments.
One of the pope's closest confidantes said he's sure John Paul sees the crowd gathered Friday for his funeral standing "at the window of the father's house."
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger choked up while pointing to the pope's window overlooking the square -- telling the crowd he was sure the pontiff was looking down and blessing them as he had thousands of times from the same place.
Ratzinger's homily traced the pope's life through his days as leader of the world's Catholics. He called John Paul "a priest to the last," who is being buried today as "a seed of immortality."
The funeral began with an intimate ceremony attended only by high-ranking prelates, who placed 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, placed a white silk veil over the pope's face before the coffin is closed.
A Mass scheduled to last 2 1/2 hours concluded with the body being carried deep under St. Peter's Basilica, where it will join the remains of popes from throughout the ages near the traditional tomb of the apostle Peter, the first pope.
They're wearing suits, jeans and religious habits, carrying backpacks and rosaries -- all there to say goodbye to the same man.
At least 300,000 people packed St. Peter's Square for John Paul's farewell, with the overflow spilling into the wide boulevard leading across the Tiber River.
Several million other people are watching the funeral on giant video screens set up across Rome. Many had tried to get into the square, but were waved off by authorities.
A student from Brazil said the huge, mixed gathering reflects "the sum of the world's feelings" for what the pope meant.
Meanwhile, an Italian military commander said he doesn't think he's ever seen such a huge effort to protect any one place in Italy.
Security was extremely tight in Rome and Vatican City, where hundreds of dignitaries are on hand. Even bishops were required to go through metal detectors.
Helicopters and fighter jets are constantly flying over St. Peter's Square, with authorities saying their worst-case scenario was a threat from the sky. Anti-aircraft rocket launchers are cocked and ready at spots around the capital.
Paramilitary officers with automatic weapons are at nearly all of Rome's intersections. The city is virtually sealed off to car and truck traffic until later today.
The city's police chief said about 8,000 security agents on hand, including 2,000 uniformed guards in the square mixing with 1,500 plainclothes officers.
Some pilgrims in the overwhelming crowds filling St. Peter's Square in Rome have been carried off in stretchers.
The crowd gathered Friday for the funeral has been well behaved, but pushing and shoving has caused minor injuries.
First aid stations were set up in the square to tend to the massive crowds.
Just after midnight Thursday, a ban took effect on vehicle traffic in the city center. Air space is closed and anti-aircraft batteries outside the city are on alert. Naval ships are patrolling both the Mediterranean coast and the Tiber River near Vatican City, the tiny sovereign city-state surrounded by the Italian capital.
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.
John Paul's homeland is well-represented at his funeral.
An estimated 2 million Poles made a long trip from Poland to Vatican City -- making their presence known by waving flags and by the sounds of their own language on the streets.
Many were visibly groggy after a 30-hour bus ride -- trying to clear their eyes and find a decent spot to watch the funeral.
One man waving the Solidarity flag saluted the pope's help in toppling communism, saying he has "a debt to pay" to John Paul. Another said he's seen more Poles in Italy than Italians.
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."
Thousands of people gathered at sites around the world to honor the pope.
John Paul's funeral was observed from Paris to Tokyo.
About 7,000 people gathered in Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral for a round-the-clock observance. Hundreds more are standing outside the full cathedral, braving a downpour to watch the service on a giant screen.
Asia's most populous Roman Catholic nation is also holding a "celebration of life" in John Paul's honor. Thousands gathered in the Philippines, crowding a seaside Manila park to watch the service on four giant TV screens and to remember the pope's two visits there.
Bells tolled at Catholic churches across Singapore to mark the funeral.
In Australia, about 14,000 people poured into a cricket ground for a memorial service for the pontiff, who is credited with reaching out to other denominations.
Even in overwhelmingly Buddhist Sri Lanka, the top private TV station interrupted regular programming to broadcast the funeral live after receiving hundreds of telephone requests. Sri Lanka had a papal visit in 1995.
And thousands of people gathered Thursday night in mostly Muslim Malaysia for a memorial Mass.
Sainthood Movement Growing For Pope There's already a groundswell to declare Pope John Paul II a saint.
The call comes not only from ordinary Catholics, but priests and high Vatican officials. One American cardinal said it wouldn't surprise him at all if John Paul is fast-tracked to sainthood.
Another cardinal appeared to jump-start the process Sunday when he called the pope in his written homily "John Paul the Great."
Under rules changed by the pope himself, the process can begin as soon as one year after death. For someone to be canonized a saint, the Vatican must verify two miracles attributed to them, a process that can normally take centuries. Italian newspapers are already reporting supposed miraculous events attributed to John Paul's intercession.
There are calls to skip beatification, but one priest says that "would not do full justice to the man."
Pope’s Testament Reveals Suffering Of Final Years In a last testament released on the eve of Friday's papal funeral, Pope John Paul II wrote of tormented times for himself and his church, and wondered "how long I must continue this service."
The document provides insight into the pope's thinking in the last years of his life as he reflected on the possibility of resignation, but prayed for the strength to continue his mission.
The final entry was in 2000, when he was in pain and suffering from Parkinson's disease.
He also wrote about the 1981 attempt on his life, calling his survival a "miracle."
In his testament, John Paul said he left no material property and asked that his longtime private secretary to burn all his personal notes.
Empty Popemobile Rolls Through Mexico City’s Streets Thousands of mourners lining the streets in Mexico City paid their respects to Pope John Paul II while watching his empty popemobile roll by.
The vehicle was used by John Paul during four of his five visits to Mexico.
And Thursday night, officials let it cruise slowly through the streets as a gesture to the late Catholic leader. It was driven to the Basilica of Guadalupe, where John Paul canonized an Indian saint during his final trip to Mexico three years ago.
The empty popemobile was fitted with a picture of John Paul and was surrounded by police cars and motorcycles, while a few faithful trailed behind on bicycles.
Bush: 'One Of The Highlights Of My Presidency' President George W. Bush said attending Pope John Paul's funeral was "one of the highlights" of his presidency.
He called the service "majestic" -- and said he was moved by the music and the sight of the pontiff's plain wooden casket. The president spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One as he headed home to his Texas ranch.
Bush was the first U.S. president ever to attend a papal funeral.
He was joined by his wife, and by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and two of his predecessors -- his father and former President Bill Clinton. They sat with other leaders in St. Peters's Square.
When Bush's face was shown on big video monitors outside the square, some in the crowd booed.
Bush told reporters John Paul leaves behind a "strong legacy." He said there'll doubtless be debates about the pontiff, but "on balance" he "did what he thought was right."
Pallbearers carry the coffin of Pope John Paul II inside St. Peter's Basilica after the funeral mass at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican April 8, 2005. The poor and the powerful of the earth rubbed shoulders to say their last goodbye to the Pope on Friday as the Vatican staged one of the most momentous funerals in history for the Polish Pontiff. Photo by Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters
Text Of The Homily At Pope's Funeral
Text of the homily read, in Italian, by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, dean of the College of Cardinals, during the funeral Mass of Pope John Paul II. Translation provided by the Vatican:
"Follow me." The Risen Lord says these words to Peter. They are his last words to this disciple, chosen to shepherd his flock. "Follow me" - this lapidary saying of Christ can be taken as the key to understanding the message which comes to us from the life of our late beloved Pope John Paul II. Today we bury his remains in the earth as a seed of immortality - our hearts are full of sadness, yet at the same time of joyful hope and profound gratitude.
These are the sentiments that inspire us, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, present here in St. Peter's Square, in neighboring streets and in various other locations within the city of Rome, where an immense crowd, silently praying, has gathered over the last few days. I greet all of you from my heart. In the name of the College of Cardinals, I also wish to express my respects to Heads of State, Heads of Government and the delegations from various countries. I greet the Authorities and official representatives of other Churches and Christian Communities, and likewise those of different religions. Next I greet the Archbishops, Bishops, priests, religious men and women and the faithful who have come here from every Continent; especially the young, whom John Paul II liked to call the future and the hope of the Church. My greeting is extended, moreover, to all those throughout the world who are united with us through radio and television in this solemn celebration of our beloved Holy Father's funeral.
Follow me - as a young student Karol Wojtyla was thrilled by literature, the theater, and poetry. Working in a chemical plant, surrounded and threatened by the Nazi terror, he heard the voice of the Lord: Follow me! In this extraordinary setting he began to read books of philosophy and theology, and then entered the clandestine seminary established by Cardinal Sapieha. After the war he was able to complete his studies in the faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University of Krakow. How often, in his letters to priests and in his autobiographical books has he spoken to us about his priesthood, to which he was ordained on Nov. 1, 1946. In these texts he interprets his priesthood with particular reference to three sayings of the Lord. First: "You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last" (John 15:16). The second saying is: "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11). And then: "As the father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love" (John 15:9). In these three sayings we see the heart and soul of our Holy Father. He really went everywhere, untiringly, in order to bear fruit, fruit that lasts. "Rise, Let us be on our Way!" is the title of his next-to-last book. "Rise, let us be on our way!" - with these words he roused us from a lethargic faith, from the sleep of the disciples of both yesterday and today. "Rise, let us be on our way!" he continues to say to us even today. The Holy Father was a priest to the last, for he offered his life to God for his flock and for the entire human family, in a daily self-oblation for the service of the Church, especially amid the sufferings of his final months. And this way he became one with Christ, the Good Shepherd who loves his sheep. Finally, "abide in my love:" the Pope who tried to meet everyone, who had an ability to forgive and to open his heart to all, tells us once again today, with these words of the Lord, that by abiding in the love of Christ we learn, at the school of Christ, the art of true love.
Follow me! In July 1958 the young priest Karol Wojtila began a new stage in his journey with the Lord in the footsteps of the Lord. Karol had gone to the Masuri Lakes for his usual vacation, along with a group of young people who loved canoeing. But he brought with him a letter inviting him to call on the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Wyszynski. He could guess the purpose of the meeting: he was to be appointed as the auxiliary Bishop of Krakow. Leaving the academic world, leaving this challenging engagement with young people, leaving the great intellectual endeavor of striving to understand and to interpret the mystery of that creature which is man and of communicating to today's world the Christian interpretation of our being - all this must have seemed to him like losing his very self, losing what had become the very human identity of this young priest. Follow me - Karol Wojtyla accepted the appointment for he heard in the Church's call the voice of Christ. And then he realized how true are the Lord's words: "Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it" (Luke 17:53). Our pope - and we all know this - never wanted to make his own life secure, to keep it for himself, he wanted to give of himself unreservedly, to the very last moment, for Christ and thus also for us. And thus he came to experience how everything which he had given over into the Lord's hands came back to him in a new way. His love of words, of poetry, of literature became an essential part of his pastoral mission and gave his new vitality, new urgency, new attractiveness to the preaching of the Gospel, even when it is a sign of contradiction.
Follow me! In October 1978, Cardinal Wojtyla once again heard the voice of the Lord. Once more there took place that dialogue with Peter reported in the Gospel of this Mass: "Simon, son of John, do you love me? Feed my sheep!' To the Lord's question, `Karol, do you love me?' the archbishop of Krakow answered from the depths of his heart: "Lord, you know everything: you know that I love you." The love of Christ was the dominant force in the life of our beloved Holy Father. Anyone who ever saw him pray, who ever heard him preach, knows that. Thanks to his being profoundly rooted in Christ, he was able to bear a burden which transcends merely human abilities: that of being the shepherd of Christ's flock, his universal Church. This is not the time to speak of the specific content of this rich pontificate. I would like only to read two passages of today's liturgy which reflect the central elements of his message. In the first reading, St. Peter says - and with St. Peter, the pope himself - "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ - he is Lord of all" (Acts of the Apostles 10:34-36). And in the second reading, St. Paul - and with St. Paul, our late Pope - exhorts us, crying out: "My brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved" (Philippians 4:1).
Follow me! Together with the command to feed his flock, Christ proclaimed to Peter that he would die a martyr's death. With those words, which conclude and sum up the dialogue on the love and on the mandate of the universal shepherd, the Lord recalls another dialogue, which took place during the Last Supper. There Jesus had said: "Where I am going, you cannot come." Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied: "Where I cam going, you cannot follow me now: but you will follow me afterward." (John 13:33-36). Jesus from the Supper went toward the Cross, went toward his resurrection - he entered into the paschal mystser; and Peter could not follow him. Now - after the resurrection - comes the time, comes this "afterward." By shepherding the flock of Christ, Peter enters into the paschal mystery, he goes toward the cross and the resurrection. The Lord says this in these words: "`....when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go; (John 21:18) In the first years of his pontificate, still young and full of energy, the Holy Father went to very ends of the earth, guided by Christ. But afterward, he increasingly entered into the communion of Christ's sufferings; increasingly he understood the truth of the words: "Someone else will fasten a belt around you." And in the very communion with the suffering Lord, tirelessly and with renewed intensity, he proclaimed the Gospel, the mystery of that love which goes to the end (John 13:1).
He interpreted for us the paschal mystery as a mystery of divine mercy. In his last book, he wrote: The limit imposed upon evil "is ultimately Divine Mercy" ("Memory and Identity," p. 60-61). And reflecting on the assassination attempt, he said: "In sacrificing himself for us all, Christ gave a new meaning to suffering, opening up a new dimension, a new order: the order of love .... It is this suffering which burns and consumes evil with the flame of love and draws forth even from sin a great flowering of good." Impelled by this vision, the Pope suffered and loved in communion with Christ, and that is why the message of his suffering and his silence proved so eloquent and so fruitful.
Divine Mercy: the Holy Father found the purest reflection of God's mercy in the Mother of God. He who at an early age had lost his own mother, loved his divine mother all the more. He heard the words of the crucified Lord as addressed personally to him: "Behold your Mother." And so he did as the beloved disciple did: he took her into his own home;" (John 19:27)
Totus tuus. And from the mother he learned to conform himself to Christ.
None of us can ever forget how in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi. We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father's house, that he sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the eternal glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
List of dignitaries who were planning to attend Pope John Paul II's funeral at the Vatican on Friday, April 8, 2005:
ALBANIA: President Alfred Moisiu, Prime Minister Fatos Nano
ALGERIA: President Abdelaziz Bouteflika
ANGOLA: President Jose Eduardo dos Santos
ARAB LEAGUE: Secretary-General Amr Moussa
ARGENTINA: Vice President Daniel Scioli, Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa
ARMENIA: Prime Minister Andranik Markarian
AUSTRALIA: Governor General Michael Jeffery
AUSTRIA: President Heinz Fischer, Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, Parliament Speaker Andreas Khol
AZERBAIJAN: Prime Minister Artur Rasizade
BANGLADESH: Food and Disaster Management Minister Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf
BELGIUM: King Albert II and Queen Paola, Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt
BOLIVIA: President Carlos Mesa
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: Chaiman of Presidency Borislav Paravac
BRAZIL: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
BRITAIN: Prince Charles, Prime Minister Tony Blair, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams
BULGARIA: President Georgi Parvanov
CANADA: Prime Minister Paul Martin
CHILE: Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker
COLOMBIA: Vice President Francisco Santos and his wife, Maria Victoria.
CONGO: President Joseph Kabila
COSTA RICA: President Abel Pacheco
COUNCIL OF EUROPE: Secretary General Terry Davis, Daniel Rotfeld, chairman of committee of ministers, Rene van der Linden, chairman of Parliamentary Assembly, Giovanni di Stasi, chairman council's body overseeing local authorities
CROATIA: President Stipe Mesic, Prime Minister Ivo Sanader
CUBA: National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon, Caridad Diego, head of religious affairs for Communist Party
CZECH REPUBLIC: President Vaclav Klaus, Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda
DENMARK: Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: First lady Margarita Cedeno, Secretary of Education Alejandrina German
ECUADOR: President Lucio Gutierrez
EL SALVADOR: Foreign Minister Francisco Lainez, first lady Ana Ligia Mixco de Saca, Interior Minister Rene Figueroa
EGYPT: Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni
ESTONIA: President Arnold Ruutel, former President Lennart Meri
ETHIOPIA: Abune Paulos, head of the Orthodox church
EUROPEAN UNION: European Parliament President Josep Borrell, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and his wife, Commission Vice President Franco Frattini, External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Huebner
FINLAND: Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, Evangelical Lutheran Archbishop Jukka Paarma, Russian Orthodox Archbishop Leo
FRANCE: President Jacques Chirac and his wife, Bernadette
GREECE: President Karolos Papoulias, Greek Orthodox Church leader Archbishop Christodoulos
GERMANY: Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, President Horst Koehler
GUATEMALA: President Oscar Berger and first lady Wendy de Berger, Foreign Minister Jorge Briz, Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu
HAITI: Interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue
HONDURAS: President Ricardo Maduro
HUNGARY: President Ferenc Madl and his wife, Dalma, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, Parliamentary Speaker Katalin Szili, former Prime Minister Viktor Orban
INDIA: Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
INDONESIA: Religious Minister Alwi Shihab
IRAN: President Mohammad Khatami
IRELAND: President Mary McAleese, Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, Deputy Prime Minister Mary Harney
ISRAEL: Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Haifa Chief Rabbi Shear-Yishuv Cohen
ITALY: President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
JAPAN: Former Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi
JORDAN: King Abdullah II
KENYA: Foreign Minister Chirau Ali Makwere
KUWAIT: Sheik Jaber Al Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah
LATVIA: President Vaira Vike-Freiberga
LEBANON: President Emile Lahoud, Prime Minister Omar Karami, Maronite Christian patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, Armenian Orthodox leader Catholicos Aram II.
LESOTHO: King Letsie III, Foreign Minister Monyane Moleleki
LIECHTENSTEIN: Prince Hans-Adam II, Princess Marie and Prince Nicholas
LITHUANIA: President Valdas Adamkus
LUXEMBOURG: Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker
MACEDONIA: President Branko Crvenkovski
MEXICO: President Vicente Fox
MONACO: Patrick Leclercq, chief of government
MYANMAR: Ambassador Khin Maung Aye, Archbishop Charles Bo
NATO: Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
NETHERLANDS: Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
NEW ZEALAND: Governor General Dame Silvia Cartwright
NICARAGUA: President Enrique Bolanos, Foreign Minister Norman Caldera
NIGERIA: President Olusegun Obasanjo
NORWAY: Queen Sonja, Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik
PAKISTAN: Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammed Ijaz-ul Haq
PANAMA: President Martin Torrijos and his wife, Vivian
PARAGUAY: Foreign Minister Leila Rachid
PHILIPPINES: President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
POLAND: President Aleksander Kwasniewski and his wife, Prime Minister Marek Belka, Foreign Minister Daniel Rotfeld, former President Lech Walesa
PORTUGAL: President Jorge Sampaio and first lady Maria Jose Ritta, Foreign Minister Diogo Freitas do Amaral, former President Gen. Antonio Ramalho Eanes
ROMANIA: President Traian Basescu, Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Metropolitan Daniel of Romanian Orthodox Church
RUSSIA: Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, Russian Orthox Church foreign minister Metropolitan Kirill
RWANDA: Foreign Minister Charles Murigande
SENEGAL: President Abdoulaye Wade
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO: Serbia-Montenegro President Svetozar Marovic, Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic, Serbian President Boris Tadic, Montenegro President Filip Vujanovic, Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova, Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi and Kosov parliament head Nexhat Daci
SLOVAKIA: President Ivan Gasparovic, Parliament Chairman Pavol Hrusovsky, Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan
SOUTH AFRICA: Deputy President Jacob Zuma, former President Nelson Mandela
SOUTH KOREA: Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan
SPAIN: King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
SRI LANKA: Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse
SWEDEN: King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, Prime Minister Goeran Persson
SWITZERLAND: President Samuel Schmid
SYRIA: President Bashar Assad
TANZANIA: Minister for Cooperative Development George Kahama
TAIWAN: President Chen Shui-bian, Foreign Minister Chen Tan-sun, imam Ma Shiao-chi
THAILAND: Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai
TURKEY: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, State Minister Mehmet Aydin, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Patriarch Mesrob II
UKRAINE: President Viktor Yushchenko
UNITED NATIONS: Secretary-General Kofi Annan
UNITED STATES: President Bush and his wife, Laura, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
URUGUAY: First Lady Maria Auxiliadora Delgado de Vazquez
VENEZUELA: Foreign Relations Minister Ali Rodriguez, Planning Minister Jorge Giordanni
ZIMBABWE: President Robert Mugabe
Monarchs, heads of state and other dignitaries attend the funeral mass for Pope John Paul II in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, April 8, 2005. The poor and powerful joined in a final farewell to Pope John Paul Friday at a momentous Vatican funeral watched by tens of millions of people across the world. Photo by Jerry Lampen/Reuters
___ A Papal Portrait ___
 Audio Photo Gallery
A look at the life of Pope John Paul II, narrated by The Washington Post's Alan Cooperman.
Short Biography of His Holiness Pope John Paul II
Events in the life of Pope John Paul II
James Sensenbrenner Introduces Bipartisan Resolution Urging
President Bush to Award Pope John Paul II the Presidential Medal of Freedom
His Holiness Pope John Paul II is also a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal,
the highest honor bestowed by the United States Congress
Much more on the life of His Holiness Pope John Paul II in story and photos
Return to Pope John Paul II Medal of Freedom Homepage
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Medal History
