Pope John Paul II

Prayers are being said and tributes paid following confirmation that Pope John Paul II has died.

The Pope's final journey came as the world's Catholic community entered a period of mourning for the first non-Italian Pontiff in nearly five centuries.

The announcement came after a series of statements confirmed the Pope's health was rapidly failing.

A short Vatican statement confirmed that the death occurred at 9.37pm local time.

Contributory factors included heart and kidney problems and unstable blood pressure.

A high fever caused by an infection of the urinary tract was also blamed.

The infection had led to "septic shock and a cardio-circulatory collapse", the Vatican said.

The Pope's had also endured a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

Serene

His death at the age of 84 ended the papacy which began in 1978.

Pope John Paul's final moments had been described as "serene".

In a statement earlier on Saturday the Vatican primed the world for the news when it said the Pope "was about to die".

The Pontiff had been slipping in and out of consciousness throughout Saturday.

Prayers

Prior to his death hundreds of thousands of Catholics around the world offered their prayers during the Pope's final hours.

Fears had grown for his health after it emerged the 84-year-old Pontiff had been administered the last rites at the Vatican on Thursday night.

The sacrament was administered by John Paul's closest aide, Polish Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz.

Tributes paid

Political figures began paying tribute shortly after news of the death was confirmed.

Tony Blair said that Pope John Paul II had "never flinched" in the struggle to do good.

"The world has lost a religious leader who was revered across people of all faiths and none. He was an inspiration, a man of extraordinary faith, dignity and courage," added the prime minister.

"Throughout a hard and often difficult life, he stood for social justice and on the side of the oppressed, whether as a young man facing the Nazi occupation in Poland or later in challenging the communist regime.

"He never wavered, never flinched, in the struggle for what he thought was good and right.

"Yet whatever his own hardship and experience of what was wrong in human nature, he never lost faith in the human spirit and its ultimate capacity to do good.

"To anyone fortunate enough to meet him, as I was with my family two years ago, he radiated such warmth and kindness that the meeting was unforgettable.

"He will be remembered with profound respect and admiration."

Conservative leader Michael Howard said: "The deep sense of loss felt by Catholics at the passing of the Pope will be shared by many millions more, of other faiths and of none.

"In a world of change and uncertainty, people saw him as a rock: steadfast in support of freedom, unswerving in opposition to totalitarianism, robust in defence of Christian values.

"The Catholic Church has lost a truly remarkable Pope, and the world a very great spiritual leader."

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said: "The papacy of Pope John Paul II will be remembered rightly as a historic turning point in European and world affairs.

"His was a pivotal presence on the international stage and he took his Christian message of hope to millions across the world.

"He will be remembered with deep affection and reverence by the countless numbers of people whose lives he touched and influenced."