Pope John Paul II dies

Kenyans joined the rest of the world in keeping vigil overnight for the dying Pope John Paul II.

At the Holy Family Basilica, Nairobi, worshippers were led in prayers for the Pope by Fr Emmanuel Ngugi and Fr Paul Steve Chobo of the Catholic University.

Fr Chobo said that the Church wanted to dedicate the life of the Pope to God, and deliver him from his suffering and illness.

Fr Chobo said the Pope defended the Church and the human cause throughout the world.

"The Pope defended and protected the voiceless, the challenge is now left to us to emulate his example," he said. 

The priest was unable to give the congregation an update on the Pontiff's condition: "All we know is that the Holy Father is ill, he had asked for the sacrament of the sick to give him strength to bear the pain of his sickness, as a Church we pray that the will of God be done his servant the Pope," the priest said.

Fr Ngugi read the words inscribed on the wall of the Basilica which were taken from the address of the Pope when he visited Kenya in 1980. 

"We are a Communion of faith and love, confessing Jesus Christ as the Son of God; the Lord of History; the redeemer and the Saviour of the whole world." 

These words were taken from the Pope's address at the Basilica on Tuesday May 6, 1980. 

The second time Pope John Paul visited Kenya was when he came to celebrate the 43rd Eucharist in August 1985 and the third time is when the Pope came to attend the African Synod in 1995.

In Kisii, Sabbath Day Adventists who are the majority in the region, joined the Catholics in conducting special prayers for the Pope. 

At Nyabururu parish it was a sombre mood as father Lawrence Nyaanga led the faithful in daylong prayers. Fr Nyaanga described the Pope as the real representative of Jesus Christ on earth.

"Pope is the best gift to this world. He has visited areas many never expected him to visit including Africa Middle East and many others where he even knew his own life was on line," said Fr Nyaanga. 

At the vatican, the vigil for the ailing Pope intensified as tens of thousands of people, young and old, prayed together in St Peter’s Square and preparations got underway for the elaborate rituals that mark a pope’s death.

In St Peter’s itself, the vigil was at times festive, with children chasing pigeons and families picnicking on pizzas on the cobblestones. But at other times it turned quiet, and only the trickle of the fountains and the hum of rosary prayers could be heard.

"The hope now for the Pope is that he suffers as little as possible," said Federico della Libera, who with his wife joined a group of nuns reciting prayers in the square. "At this point, he’s in the hands of God."

Dawn broke over the piazza with a few hundred pilgrims who had stayed the night huddled in sleeping bags following a remarkable candlelit vigil Friday night that drew some 70,000 people. Another prayer vigil was scheduled for Saturday night.