What the world was saying as the pope was laid to rest

VATICAN CITY, April 8 (AFP) - What the world was saying Friday as Pope John Paul II was laid to rest:

Requiem mass in Rome
"Today we bury his remains in the earth as a seed of immortality -- our hearts are full of sadness, yet at the same time of joyful hope and profound gratitude," -- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger delivering the homily.

The pontiff had been able to bear "a burden which transcends merely human abilities: that of being the shepherd of Christ`s flock, his universal Church," -- Ratzinger added.

"Santo, Santo," -- chant from part of the crowd, mostly Poles, assembled on Saint Peter`s Square, who interrupted the funeral to call for the pope to be made a saint.

World leaders:
Of the service "it helped strengthen my faith. ... Faith: it`s a walk, not a moment, not a respite ... Today`s ceremony, I bet you, was a reaffirmation for millions," -- US President George W. Bush.

An "unforgettable friend" and a "tireless fighter" -- Fidel Castro writing in the book of condolences in Havana cathedral.

John Paul II was "a 20th century leader who the world is going to miss," -- former US president Bill Clinton.

"The pope was one of the greatest spiritual figures of our time. He was a man of faith, of action, capable of uniting the most diverse people," -- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on arriving at Rome`s Fiumicino airport.

"His actions in favour of peace, his opposition to war -- in particularly the war in Iraq -- the denunciation of American crimes at Abu Ghraib prison conferred on John Paul II a greater international stature than that of his predecessors," former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani,

Church leaders:
"Time will dry our tears. We now transform our silence into prayer," -- Bishop Jozef Guzek in Poland before the funeral service.

"I`m glued to my television set. It`s a touching and moving experience," -- Father Felix Ajakaye, Nigeria`s Catholic Secretariat spokesman.

"I think it was the greatest funeral in history. It reflected the appreciation for a great personality. The pope was a man of peace and love," -- Father Emmanuel Gharib, the first ever Kuwaiti priest

"I don`t think the religious believers would use the opportunity of the funeral of the pope to stage an uprising. All the religious believers in the country love China," -- Joseph Kung, president of the Cardinal Kung Foundation, reacting to Beijing`s decision not to broadcast the service.

Ordinary mourners:
"For me, this is a possibility to live the last moment of a saint," -- Janin Marco, of Madrid, in the midst of the thronging crush in Rome.

"Why do you go to your father`s funeral? You don`t know why, you have to," Pole Macek Karowicz, on why he had travelled to Rome.

"He is the Jesus of our time," said Biedechristaline Ogiri, a Nigerian nun living in Rome. "He was a simple man, a humble man, a man of peace and love."

"We solemnly honor this great man of peace and the legacy he leaves for future generations," Empire State Building spokesman Rubenstein as the builing`s lights were dimmed overnight Thursday.

"He was the first to ask forgiveness for crimes committed by the Church. I admire him for his goodness and simplicity. I don`t believe in God, but I still think the pope is a saint," -- Svetlana Volina, a visitor to a Catholic cathedral in Moscow.

"This day is the hardest in my life," -- Ganna Kovalets, a 76-year-old Greco Catholic worshipper in Ukraine. "There is an emptiness in my soul."

Critics:
"In our opinion the pope was out of date and his views on contraception and homosexuality were well out of order ... why not abolish the position of pope, as religion, at the end of the day, causes more wars than anything else," -- Mitch Hawkins who ran an article "Pope Snuffs It" on a spoof British village website