Papal vigil - A moral voice for the world

The world of Christendom, like an extended family, yesterday held vigil for Pope John Paul II, who lay unconscious and gravely ill in his Vatican sickbed.

As the leader of the world’s billion Catholics seemingly faced his final hours, the prayers of the world’s religious leaders united with those of thousands of pilgrims in St Peter’s Square who had gathered in sadness for a final farewell to the most charismatic Pope in the history of the papacy.

Heart failure after contracting a urinary tract infection added to the Pontiff’s burden, borne courageously by a man who has suffered from the debilitating Parkinson’s Disease and who has been seriously ill for the past two months.