What of the empty church he leaves behind? Roman Catholics mourn the loss of a deeply holy man. Millions across the world will light candles as Pope John Paul II is laid to rest. The requiem mass in St Peter's will recall a pontiff of courage and humanity. A galaxy of political leaders and the unprecedented crowds in Rome will testify to a unique influence that reached far beyond Karol Wojtyla's church. Yet even as they mourn, Catholics must hope that the future holds an altogether different, less self-aggrandising, papacy.

In much of the world, Catholicism prospered during John Paul's 26-year reign. He saw his pontificate as a perennial pilgrimage. He reached out to new communicants in Asia, Africa and Latin America previously reliant on a dwindling band of missionaries. He will be best remembered for his role in the defeat of communism, but everywhere he spoke out for the struggle against tyranny.