Religious leaders around the world have united in mourning the loss of Pope John Paul II.
Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders in the Middle East paid a unanimous tribute to the pope, emphasising his efforts for peace in the region.
John Paul II, who visited five Middle East countries during his 26-year tenure and became the first pope to enter a mosque and a synagogue, drew praise for his insistence on inter-faith reconciliation.
The head of the Orthodox Church, Patriarch Bartholomew I, voiced grief over the death of John Paul II, hailing him as a 'man of vision' who worked for improved ties between the long-divided Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
Iran's Shiite Muslim clerical paid tribute to the late pope, praising him as a seeker of 'truth, justice and peace'.
In a condolence message to Vatican Secretary of State Angelo Sodano, President Mohammad Khatami described him as a disciple of religious mysticism, philosophic deliberation and thought and artistic and poetic creativity.
The Iranian press provided extensive coverage of the pope's death, carrying the news on its front pages.
The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama, mourned the passing of the pope John Paul II, whom he described as a 'great spiritual leader'.
The Tibetan leader recalled that he had met the pope eight times beginning in 1980 and developed a close personal friendship with him.
The head of the order of nuns founded by Mother Teresa hailed the pope as a 'great visionary' as she prepared to head for Rome to attend the his funeral.
The pope visited India twice, in 1986 and 1999. The latter visit stirred controversy with Hindu nationalists who had demanded a papal apology for alleged religious conversions by Christian missionaries in Hindu majority India.
Afghanistan's ousted Taliban militia acknowledged the pope's peace-making efforts, but insisted other Roman Catholics were the 'enemies of Islam'.
And Dr Ian Paisley said he understood how Catholics felt over his death.
In 1988, the DUP leader shouted 'Anti-Christ!' as the Pope began a speech to the European Parliament on unity in Europe.
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