Pope John Paul II Dies at 84</span> Saturday, April 02, 2005
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Pope John Paul II (<a href=\'http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:siteSearch%28%27Pope%20John%20Paul%20II%27%29;\' target=\'_blank\'>search</a>), the bold, humanitarian leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at 84, the Vatican announced in an e-mail Saturday.
"The Holy Father died this evening at 9:37 p.m. (2:37 p.m. EST) in his private apartment. All the procedures outlined in the apostolic Constitution `Universi Dominici Gregis\' that was written by John Paul II on Feb. 22, 1996, have been put in motion."
The announcement came from papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls and was distributed to journalists via e-mail.
The pope died after suffering heart and kidney failure following two hospitalizations in as many months. Just a few hours earlier, the Vatican had said he was in "very serious" condition but responded to members of the papal household.
"We all feel like orphans this evening," Undersecretary of State Archbishop Leonardo told the crowd of 70,000 that had gathered in St. Peter\'s Square below the pope\'s still-lighted apartment windows.
Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican\'s No. 2 official, immediately led the tearful crowd of in prayers for the dead pope. Some people held their hands to their heads in disbelief ? on other faces, tears rolled uncontrollably.
A Mass was scheduled for St. Peter\'s Square for 10:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. EDT) Sunday.
"The world has lost a champion of human freedom" in the death of Pope John Paul II, President Bush said Saturday afternoon at the White House. "A good and faithful servant of God has been called home," Bush added.
Bush, who was expected to attend the pontiff\'s funeral, said the pope had been "an inspiration to millions of Americans, and to so many more throughout the world."
John Paul II was last seen in public on Wednesday when, looking gaunt and unable to speak, he briefly appeared at his window.
His health sharply deteriorated the next day after he suffered a urinary tract infection. The Vatican said the pope was suffering from septic shock, which involves both bacteria in the blood and a consequent over-relaxing of the blood vessels.
Medical experts put the chances of survival for an elderly person in John Paul\'s condition at no more than 20 percent, and only when hospitalized in intensive care. As the very end drew near, the pontiff refused to be taken to a hospital and instead spent his final hours in the papal apartment in Rome.
When a pope dies, the prefect of the papal household, currently American Archbishop James Harvey, tells the camerlengo, or chamberlain, who is the most important official running the Holy See in the period between the death of a pope and the election of a new one.
The camerlengo, now Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo of Spain, must then verify the death ? a process which in the past was done by striking the forehead of the pope with a silver hammer. The camerlengo then calls out to the pope three times by his baptismal name ? Karol, Karol, Karol. When the pope does not respond, the camerlengo then announces "the pope is dead."
The camerlengo uses the silver hammer to smash the pope\'s ring ? the papal seal or "ring of the fisherman" ? to preclude forgery of official documents.
The mourning will last nine days and the pope\'s body will likely lie in state. The funeral is expected to take place in St. Peter\'s Square and the body will then be laid to rest, alongside other popes\', in a crypt underneath St. Peter\'s Basilica.
A conclave will gather 117 cardinals at the Vatican to begin the process of electing a new pope within 15 to 20 days.
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