Utahns join in prayer, tears for John Paul II

As he sat weeping, huddled next to a friend from home, a sliver of light fell upon Jose Franco's face.

It was a moment of pain for the immigrant from Mexico. An hour earlier, the man he had known his whole life as pope — or holy father — had died.

"He always had that young spirit and always tried to instill that in us to be young and full of the spirit," said Franco, his eyes red-rimmed as he fingered a silver cross around his neck.

Minutes earlier, Franco and friends Baltazar Silva and Julio Funes had knelt before a picture of Pope John Paul II, displayed in the Cathedral of the Madeleine on Saturday just minutes after his death.

Black crepe hung over the portrait and draped the main entrance of the Salt Lake cathedral. For the next nine days, the state's 200,000 Catholics will be in mourning — the crepe a symbol of their sorrow.

"You just feel like the pope was yours," said Gail Moschini, who had been praying inside the cathedral. "It's really sad. He was such a great man for the entire world. He reached out to all."

But in the darkness of Pope John Paul's death, there was room for hope in the atonement of Christ.

At a morning Mass, nearly 200 united in prayer as they celebrated the week after Easter. The message was of the resurrection and atonement of Jesus Christ and the opportunity to live again.

"This is a powerful sign to us that his faith and hope which carried him this far will carry him further," said Bishop George H. Niederauer, who presides over the diocese of Salt Lake City.

As the sun crept through stained-glass windows early Saturday, Bishop Niederauer spoke of hope and healing, strength and courage. He called on Utah Catholics to pray for the pope as he passed into eternity.

Early Saturday, Pope John Paul was beginning to lose consciousness. He died later in the day in his Vatican City quarters, surrounded by a throng of thousands who had gathered to keep vigil.

"We give thanks for the presence of the Holy Spirit down through the generations and now through our generation with Pope John Paul," said Bishop Niederauer as he surveyed the crowd standing and praying before him in Salt Lake City. "We pray for him most appropriately in this year in the Eucharist. We take part of this Eucharist for strength and light and peace and joy. We take up our piece of his work."