Biografia papa Juan Pablo II

VATICAN CITY (CNN) -- Pope John Paul II was remembered Saturday as a "champion of human freedom," a "tireless advocate of peace" and a man with a "wonderful sense of humor" who was easy to talk to.
The charismatic pontiff, who led the world's 1 billion Catholics for 26 years, died at 9:37 p.m. Saturday (2:37 p.m. ET) in his private apartment, the Vatican said. He was 84.
"The Holy Father'sfinal hours were marked by the uninterrupted prayer of all those who were assisting him in his pious death and by the choral participation in prayer of the thousands of faithful who for many hours had been gathered in Saint Peter's Square," a Vatican statement said.
Archbishop Stanislow Dziwisz presided over a Mass for the pontiff in his final hours.
"During the course of the Mass that the viaticum(communion for the dying) was administered to the Holy Father and, once again, the sacrament of anointing the sick," the statement said.
Archbishop Leonardo Sandri asked for a few moments of silence as he announced the death to the thousands of faithful who had congregated in St. Peter's Square. People in the crowd bowed their heads to pray, some of them in tears.
Then they burst intoapplause.
"Let perpetual light shine on him, and let him repose in peace," Sandri said.
A Mass in the pope's honor will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, he said.
The pope was known for his energy, intellectualism and activism on the global stage, but he was slowed in recent years by Parkinson's disease and crippling arthritis.
His health had deteriorated severely during the past few weeks. BySaturday, John Paul was slipping in and out of consciousness after his heart and kidneys started to fail in the wake of a urinary tract infection. (Full story)
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said that despite his precarious health, the pope had decided to remain in his residence at the Vatican, rather than returning to Gemelli hospital in Rome, where he had been hospitalized twice sinceFebruary.
He was administered the sacrament of anointing the sick, formerly known as last rites or extreme unction, Thursday night.
Navarro-Valls said the papal transition process is under way, as part of the procedures the pontiff enacted in 1996. (Rituals ahead)
International reaction
Pilgrims, tourists and Italians filled St. Peter's Square on Saturday, hours after tens of thousands of peoplepacked the vast space in a nighttime vigil.
Thousands of people gathered in Krakow, Poland -- where John Paul served as archbishop before becoming pope -- at the archbishop's residence. People in the crowd prayed for their fellow Pole.
In the United States, President Bush said his country loved the pontiff.
"The Catholic Church has lost its shepherd," Bush said at the White House, with his wife,Laura, standing alongside him. "The world has lost a champion of human freedom, and a good and faithful servant of God has been called home.
"We will always remember the humble, wise and fearless priest who became one of history's great moral leaders."
Bush ordered the U.S. flags at all federal buildings and facilities to be flown at half-staff until sunset on the day of the pope's interment.Later, the Bushes attended a Mass at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he felt privileged to have met the pope.
"Quite apart from his role as a spiritual guide to more than a billion men, women and children, he was a tireless advocate of peace, a true pioneer in interfaith dialogue and a strong force for critical self-evaluation by the Churchitself," Annan said.
Lech Walesa, who led Poland's Solidarity movement to power after a decade of struggle, said the Polish-born John Paul inspired the drive to end communism in Eastern Europe.
"[Without him] there would be no end of communism or at least [it would have happened] much later, and the end would have been bloody," Walesa said. (Full story)
Bishop Joseph Galante, of the diocese of...