he Pope has died at the age of 84, after becoming one of the longest-serving pontiffs in history.
Pope John Paul II died at 2137 local time (1937 GMT) on
Saturday following a series of worsening health problems including
heart failure.
Prayers are being said in St Peter's square, where many thousands of people are gathered to pay tribute.
Polish-born Karol Wojtyla became Pope in 1978, taking a conservative stand on issues like abortion and contraception.
He was the most widely travelled pontiff and visited more than 120 countries during his 26-year papacy.
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