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"In the office that Cardinal Wright was responsible for, one of the ‘board of directors,’ so to speak, was Cardinal Wojtyla from Krakow; that’s how we got to know the future John Paul the Second. When I was assigned to Pittsburgh and would go to Rome with some regularity for meetings, one of the hallmarks of meeting with him always was -- when he would see me, he would always say, ‘Pittsburgh!’ It had become synonymous with my name.” -- Bishop Donald Wuerl, Diocese of Pittsburgh

"He's been a moral voice, and in that sense I think the papacy and what it represents has an even more significant role in the world than it ever had before." — Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor

"The world has lost a religious leader who was revered across people of all faiths and none. He was an inspiration, a man of extraordinary faith, dignity and courage." -British Prime Minister Tony Blair

"Muslims worldwide respected Pope John Paul II as an advocate for justice and human rights. His message of international peace and interfaith reconciliation is one that will reverberate for decades to come. We offer our sincere condolences to members of the Roman Catholic Church and to all those who seek a more peaceful world." - Council on American-Islamic Relations

"We have lost a very important religious figure who dedicated his life to peace and justice for all. We will not forget his visit to our land and his position towards Jerusalem." - Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas

"Pope John Paul II was a global leader for a global age. Few Jews will forget his visit to the synagogue in Rome or his deeply moving pilgrimage to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. That one act of atonement for the suffering caused to Jews by the Church was one of the great healing moments of our time." - Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks

"Pope John Paul II ... touched the hearts of young and old, bringing tears to the eyes of those inspired by his very presence. He provided unparalleled leadership to his church and gave hope to those who had none." - Former U.S. first lady Nancy Reagan

" The Queen remembers the untiring efforts of Pope John Paul II in promoting peace and good will throughout the world. Her majesty also remembers well the work of Pope John Paul II for Christian unity including closer ties between the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches and, in particular his Holiness’s visit to Britain in 1982 – the first ever Papal visit.” - Buckingham Palace

"Pope John Paul was a leader of manifest holiness and a faithful and prayerful friend of the Anglican Church. There will be time in the days ahead for the proper tributes to be paid; for now we remember his life and ministry with thankfulness and hold the church that he led in our thoughts and prayers." - Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams

"In short, he was the most significant leader of our times. I'd say he was the man of the century, and at some time in the future, may he get another title, Pope John Paul the Great." - Bishop Edward U. Kmiec

"He has been in our towns. He has driven in our streets. He has been with us and our people." — Bishop Joseph A. Galante

"He was a man of peace and he has been a great supporter of the United Nations. I recall very fondly my meetings with him, particularly sitting with him in his private quarters discussing the question of war and peace when we were thinking about what to do in Kosovo. He...(was) extremely concerned about the world we lived in, and like me, he also felt that in war, all are losers." - UN Secretary Kofi Annan

"Pope John Paul II was unquestionably the most influential voice for morality and peace in the world during the last 100 years . His extraordinary gifts, his strong Catholic faith, and his experience of human tyranny and suffering in his native Poland all shaped him, and yet he was respected by men and women from every conceivable background across the world." - Rev. Billy Graham

“He radiated hope in an age with so little of it. He was a true disciple of Jesus Christ; and in his love and service, he invited us to be the same, and ennobled us by his example. Karol Wojtyla will be sorely missed for a very long time. In every sense, he was truly 'John Paul the Great'." - Archbishop Charles Chaput

"He had a presence that was larger than himself and I simply conclude that his will and the Lord's will were so close that the Lord could make his presence felt beyond the presence of the man.” - Bishop Eugene Gerber

"This remarkable man has been a consistent and credible champion of justice whose moral authority has been acknowledged by people of every nation and creed. As a man of peace he has called all people to respect the dignity of every human person as the only foundation for a new culture of life and civilization of love.
For the young he has been a charismatic religious leader who challenged them never to accept mediocrity and not to be afraid to be disciples of Jesus." - Bishop Paul S. Coakley

" ... On Saturday April 2, we arrived at St. Peter's Square at about 11:30 pm. The entire Via della Concliiazione which leads into the square was a mass of humanity. People were covering the square, some kneeling, other sitting wrapped in blankets, others walking or staring at the windows of the papal apartments, which looked the same as last night... but the Pope is no longer there, only his body.
A prayer service began shortly after midnight. The Scripture readings were taken from the Feast of Divine Mercy, which is celebrated on the Sunday after Easter and was made a feast day by John Paul II, taking his inspiration from Saint Faustina Kowalska, a nun who lived in Krakow and died in 1937. The double coincidence that the Pope has died on a First Saturday and on the vigil of the Feast of Divine Mercy which he instituted is truly remarkable. I take it as a sign that the Lord has chosen the exact moment when he wanted to take John Paul II to himself.
At one point in the prayer service, one of the bishops who was speaking asked everyone to lift a round of applause up to the heavens. The entire piazza began clapping, and sustained this applause vigorously for almost ten minutes. It was quite remarkable. Towards the end of the applause, some young people began the favorite chant, "Giovanni Paolo!" and soon the entire square was calling out the name of our beloved father. The crowd then joined together in singing the Our Father in Italian. The prayer service concluded with the singing of the "Salve Regina" in Latin, an ancient hymn to Mary asking that "after this our exile" she will "show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus." A prayer that I know on this night has been answered for John Paul II. A light shone on the icon of Mary and the Christ child which John Paul himself put in the square after the assassination attempt in 1981.
About a block from St Peter's Square, all-night adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is being held at the Church of the Holy Spirit, which was dedicated by John Paul as the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Rome ten years ago on this feast day, Divine Mercy Sunday 1995. I attended part of a Mass there which was jammed with people. At the moment of the customary prayer for the pope during the Eucharistic prayer of the Mass, there was only a prayer for the bishops of the church and no mention of the pope...because there is no pope. Also at the time of the prayers for the dead, the priest prayed "for our brother John Paul...in baptism he died with Christ, may he also share his resurrection." That moment made things hit home for me...." - Father Peter Mitchell, a priest in Rome