World Marks Anniversary of Pope`s Death

On Sunday, a mass was held at St. Peter`s Square in Vatican City to mark a year since the passing of "the Polish pope", John Paul II, who for nearly 27 years sat on the throne of St. Peter as head of the Roman Catholic church. Hundreds of thousands of worshippers and mourners were expected to descend on Vatican City for the event, and by the time of current Pope Benedict XVI`s noon address the square was packed.

Later in the evening a vigil was held as Catholics from all over the world, including from John Paul II`s hometown of Wadowice, Poland, prayed and remembered a man who worked tirelessly from the moment of his naming for reconciliation among peoples of different faiths. There are calls for John Paul II`s sainthood, though deciding on such an outcome is up to established church law and the weighing of opinions for and against his sainthood.

Those who traveled to Rome from across Europe and the world waited for as long as two hours at times to catch but a glimpse of the tomb of Pope John Paul II, nestled within St. Peter`s Basilica. John Paul II died a year ago Sunday, after a long bout with Parkinson`s disease. Not long before his death, his ailing condition was apparent during Holy Week last year. His funeral brought world leaders to Rome, with the presidents of arch rivals Israel and Iran sitting nearby one another.

                                 

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