UK faith leaders praise late Pope

Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor praised his 'hope and joy'

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor has led a requiem Mass for Pope John Paul II at London's Westminster Cathedral.

The leader of England and Wales' Catholics described the 84-year-old pontiff, who died on Saturday, as "a man of such faith and love".

Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie attended the service, as did Secretary of State for Health John Reid.

Leaders from all major religions were united in paying tribute to the third-longest serving pope.

The cardinal told a large congregation the Pope had "sung a song of hope and joy".

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Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor told BBC News the Pope would be remembered as one of the greatest in the 2,000 years of the church.

He said: "Here was a man who had run his course, who fought the good fight, and now his period of suffering is over.

"He has gone with confidence and hope to meet his maker."

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, paid tribute to the Pope.

"Christians everywhere will feel that sense of grief and loss but also gratitude," he said.

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He said he believed John Paul II would be "a very difficult man to follow".

He said a number of actions had shown how special the Pope was: "One was the forgiveness he offered to the person who tried to assassinate him, and another was the courage with which he faced the church's failure to confront anti-Semitism."

'Ahead of his time'

Abdur Rashid Siddiqui, Vice-Chairman of the Islamic Foundation, UK, said Pope John Paul would be remembered for his "uncompromising refusal to neither bow to the whims of our time nor to those who wield power in today's world".

Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks said: "Pope John Paul II was a global leader for a global age."

The Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Sean Brady, the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, spoke of the Pope's respect for life, solidarity with people and his intellectual capacity.

He said: "He was ahead of his time with his message of global solidarity. We mourn with heavy hearts and an immense sense of loss."