Britain: Millions of Catholics in Britain joined worldwide prayers for Pope John Paul yesterday.
Tributes to his "extraordinary and wonderful life" poured in from fellow clergymen and the faithful. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, said fellow Christians and countless others were thinking of him as he was "approaching the last days or hours of his long pontificate".
The cardinal urged people to pray for the Pope, who has led the world's one billion Roman Catholics for 26 years. A special Mass was said for him last night in Westminster Cathedral. It was attended by Cherie Blair, wife of British prime minister Tony Blair.
Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor said: "We are all thinking and praying for the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, at this time.
"It is not only my prayers and those of Catholics which are being offered, but those of fellow Christians and countless others who have grown to respect and admire this man, who has been in so many ways a witness and extraordinarily important moral voice for the world."
The cardinal said it was not yet time to look to the future and he was praying for the Pope, who had led an "extraordinary and wonderful life".
He said he had been "a moral voice" for the whole world, adding: "The papacy and what it represents has had a more significant role in the world than it ever has before."
The leader of Scotland's Catholics, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, said the Pope appeared to be preparing himself for death. Asked what could be read into the Pope's decision not to go to hospital, Cardinal O'Brien said: "I think that is just a sign that he is ready to hand himself over to the will of Almighty God, as he has done throughout his life.
"He has made his peace with God and is just tranquilly waiting for God to call him, if that is God's will . . . My thoughts are that he is still a great man, that he has influenced many people throughout the world and still is, just by the way he is getting ready to pass over to Almighty God, if that is God's will."
In Calcutta, at the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa, Sr Nirmala, the head of the order, said in a statement: "Our dear Holy Father, we are with you in your suffering. We pray for you. We love you."
With television channels across the world interrupting bulletins for frequent updates - Polish television cancelled all comedy programmes - several governments suspended business.
In France, where Jews and Muslims said prayers, Dalil Boubakeur, president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, said: "For us Muslims, he is a man of God, a man who wanted to serve God by serving humanity."
Across Latin America, home to almost half the world's Roman Catholics, people wept and prayed for an end to the suffering of the Pope as his health deteriorated yesterday.
Brazilians prayed at special Masses and the Lord's Prayer was recited in the country's Senate as Pope John Paul appeared on the brink of death.
"I came especially to pray for him," said 60-year-old Damiana Cunha, clutching a rosary and picture of the Pope at a Mass in Sao Paulo Cathedral.
"He was a simple man who came from the communist world, got to the Vatican and gave it his style of leadership, of showing the church that it should not just talk to its Catholic faithful, but to all its brothers in the world in the language of peace and respect," said Senator Pedro Simon, who led the Senate prayer in the world's biggest Catholic nation.
In Mexico, which is 90 per cent Catholic, the faithful packed into Mexico City's vast cathedral to pray for the 84-year-old pontiff, spiritual leader of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics.
Mexicans clutched framed photographs of the Pope and wept during a special Mass for him on Thursday night.
"It's so very sad to lose something so beautiful. Someone who gave everything for all humanity. He helped many people and it's sad he is in this situation," said Maria Enriqueta Teran at a Mass on Friday morning, her eyes red, swollen and wet.
Followers prayed for an end to the pain the Polish pontiff has endured in recent weeks as his already frail health steadily worsened.
"He's suffered enough already and he is still suffering a lot. Often one would prefer that God took someone away because of what he is suffering," said elderly woman Guillermina Pedraza.
Radio and television networks across the region followed the Pope's situation minute by minute.