Hundreds of Thousands Mourn Pope

Pallbearers this morning carried the simple cypress coffin carrying the body of Pope John Paul II onto the stone steps in front of St Peter's basilica in Rome, laying it down as a choir sang "Grant him eternal rest, O Lord" to mark the start of his funeral mass.

A copy of the New Testament was laid on top of the coffin, its pages left to ruffle in the strong wind whipping through the square. Cardinals dressed in brilliant red, the colour of mourning in the Vatican, came forward to kiss the altar as world leaders and fundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the globe looked on.

The crowd loudly applauded the homily delivered by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the dean of the College of Cardinals and a close confidant of John Paul II, who led the funeral mass.

"The love of Christ, that was the dominant force in his life," Cardinal Ratzinger told the crowd as he traced the Pope's life from his time as a factory worker in Nazi-occupied Poland to his final days as the head of the world's 1 billion Catholics.

"Today, we bury his remains in the earth as a seed of immortality. Our hearts are full of sadness, yet at the same time of joyful hope and profound gratitude," the cardinal said.

He paid homage to the Pope's extensive travel during the early years of his ponitificate, but placed equal importance on the suffering he had endured as he aged. Cardinal Ratzinger said the suffering of the pontiff's final years had enabled him to enter into those of Christ and to understand the mysteries of Easter and the passion.

Kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers and ayatollahs had earlier taken their places in St Peter's square. Hundreds of thousands of mourners packed the streets surrounding the Vatican to hear the mass.

The prime minister, Tony Blair, arrived at the square with his wife, Cherie. They were joined by the heads of state of more than 80 countries, including leaders as diverse as the US president, George Bush, and the Iranian president, Mohammad Khatami. Prince Charles was attending the funeral, representing the Queen.

Huge crowds of pilgrims waved Polish flags in honour of the first Polish-born Pope, singing hymns in the cobbled streets. The Via della Conciliazione was packed with people, and around Rome thousands gathered to watch the ceremony on giant television screens.

"I came because I love the Pope," Sabina Lufaro, a 23-year-old singer from Turin, said. "I have all this love for a very big person. He was loved by all the world."

The funeral began early this morning with an intimate ceremony attended only by high-ranking prelates, who placed a pouch of silver and bronze medals and a scrolled account of the Pope's life in his coffin. The body was then placed into the coffin. Following the ceremony, it will be sealed inside two other coffins before being buried in an alcove in the crypt of St Peter's basilica.

John Paul's long-serving private secretary, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, and the master of the liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Piero Marini, placed a white silk veil over the pope's face before the coffin was closed.

The mass, which is scheduled to last for two and a half hours, will conclude with the body being taken deep into St Peter's basilica, where it will join the remains of popes from throughout the ages near the traditional tomb of the apostle Peter, the first pontiff.

Since John Paul II's death on Saturday, around 4 million pilgrims have visited Vatican City and its surroundings, Marcello Fulvi, Rome's police chief, said.

Metal detectors were set up at the entrance to St. Peter's. Police ran people's bags through X-ray machines, causing the queue to slow and some pilgrims to whistle and boo in protest.

Rome's city council said it was trying to organise three "human corridors" to channel people from around St Peter's to points where they could catch shuttle buses to train stations.

The authorities have imposed a day-long ban on cars and trucks, with schools and government offices closed and many private businesses shut as a mark of respect for the Pope.