Pope Benedict XVI ushered in Easter services with a dramatic, candlelit vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica during which he said Christ’s resurrection was ”the most crucial leap” in the history of mankind.

Signs of hope in Iraq, the Holy Land and Lebanon need to be confirmed by fair and wise actions on the ground, Pope Benedict XVI said today during a Christmas Day message delivered from the loggia of St Peter’s Basilica.

Presidents, prime ministers and kings were returning to their own nations tonight after the funeral of one remarkable man had drawn millions to Rome for the largest gathering of the powerful and the humble in modern times.

Presidents, prime ministers and kings joined pilgrims and prelates in St Peter’s Square today to bid farewell to Pope John Paul at a funeral service that drew millions to Rome for one of the largest religious gatherings in the West of modern times.

Throngs of pilgrims waved Polish flags, recited the rosary and sang hymns as they packed the cobblestone streets leading up to the Vatican today to bid an emotional farewell to Pope John Paul.

The College of Cardinals met for a second day of talks today to prepare for the conclave to elect a successor to Pope John Paul as tens of thousands of mourners streamed past the late pontiff’s crimson-robed body as it lay in state in St Peter’s Basilica.

Planning Pope John Paul II’s funeral and arranging the destruction of his papal ring are among the imposing tasks awaiting the red-capped members of the College of Cardinals as they prepare to hold their first meeting since the pontiff’s death.

Pope John Paul II will leave the hospital this evening, the Vatican announced after the pontiff greeted pilgrims in a raspy voice in his first live address to the faithful since undergoing emergency surgery last month.

Even if Pope John Paul is released from hospital in time for Easter at the end of the month, the frail pontiff is unlikely to fully participate in services marking Christianity’s most solemn holiday.

Pope John Paul II today hailed the signing of the European Union’s proposed constitution as a ”highly significant moment” in European integration, and insisted Christian values will be fundamental for Europe’s future.

Amid increasing concerns about his health, a frail Pope John Paul II gave thanks today for his 25-year pontificate and asked for continued help to carry on.