‘From Bush to Khatami’

CATHOLICISM never looked as universal, the original meaning of ‘catholic’, as it did when it paid final homage yesterday to Pope John Paul, one of the giants of the Church’s 2,000-year history.

The ceremonial funeral at St Peter's Basilica was Roman to the core, chanted in the city's ancient Latin language in rituals developed here over centuries.

Now more than ever, though, the Pope's message did go "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world), both through all the countries and faiths represented at the funeral and the hundreds of millions who watched it on television around the globe.

"For the first time in history, John Paul II has been really a universal father for the whole world," Brussels Cardinal Godfried Danneels remarked on how global he had made the papacy.

The Polish-born Pontiff redefined the ministry of St Peter, the first in the line of 264 Popes in the world's largest church, directing it "not just to the Roman Catholic Church, but to the world", London's Cardinal Cormac Murphy- O'Connor said.

"From Bush to Khatami Karol's last miracle," said the Italian daily La Stampa, using the Pope's first name.

The mix of mourners reflected his global reach. Flags waving in St Peter's Square ranged from Poland to Mexico, Taiwan to Lebanon. Catholic prayers rang out in 10 languages including Spanish, Portuguese, English, Filipino and Swahili.

Religious leaders included the spiritual head of Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Anglican spiritual leader, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, and Israeli Chief Rabbinate General Secretary Oded Viner.

A host of other religious figures Jewish, Muslim, Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Evangelical, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu and others attested to John Paul's outreach to all faiths.

On the secular side, six queens, five kings, and at least 70 presidents and prime ministers attended. Muslims were especially prominent, including Jordan's King Abdullah, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The US delegation included President George W Bush and predecessors Bill Clinton and George Bush snr. Britain sent Prince Charles and Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The turnout to bid farewell to the austere Pope Paul was much smaller, partly because it came in the middle of the August holidays.