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The funeral of Pope John Paul II was held on 8 April 2005, six days after his death on 2 April. The funeral was followed by the ''novemdiales'' devotional in which the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches observe nine days of mourning. On 22 February 1996, Pope John Paul II introduced revisions to the centuries-old ceremonies surrounding papal death, repose and burial. The revisions enacted through the apostolic constitution ''Universi Dominici gregis'' applied to his own funeral.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Universi Dominici gregis )〕 Pope John Paul's funeral brought together what was, at the time, the single largest gathering in history of heads of state outside the United Nations, surpassing the funeral of Winston Churchill (1965). Four kings, five queens, at least 70 presidents and prime ministers, and more than 14 leaders of other religions attended, alongside the faithful.〔 〕 It is likely to have been one of the largest single gathering of Christianity in history, with numbers estimated in excess of four million mourners gathering in Rome.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=''"Pope John Paul II Funeral"'' )〕 Coinciding with the funeral in Vatican City, archbishops and bishops at cathedrals throughout the world celebrated memorial Masses. In an historical rarity, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox leaders, as well as representatives and heads from Judaism, Islam and Buddhism, offered their own memorials and prayers as a way of sympathising with the grief of Roman Catholics. At the funeral itself, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I was in the honorary first seat in the sector reserved for delegations from churches not in full communion with the Holy See; this was the first time an Ecumenical Patriarch attended a papal funeral since the Great Schism.〔 The Archbishop of Canterbury (then Rowan Williams), was also present at the papal funeral, the first time since the Church of England broke with the Catholic Church in the 16th century. Also for the first time ever, the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Patriarch Abune Paulos attended a papal funeral. ==Rite of Papal Death== Centuries of sacred rituals are set in motion upon the death of a Pope, and these are administered by the Cardinal Camerlengo. When John Paul II died, the Camerlengo Eduardo Martínez Somalo removed the Pope's Ring of the Fisherman from his finger, then ceremonially crushed it with the ceremonial silver hammer in the presence of members of the College of Cardinals. This was done to prevent the creation of forged, backdated documents, which would appear to have been approved by John Paul II. After the ring's destruction, Cardinal Martínez Somalo cordoned off and placed wax seals on the entrances to the Pope's private bedroom and study. This tradition originates from ruthless cardinals looting the papal chambers upon the death of past popes. The Pope's formal death certificate was signed by Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, Director of the Department of Health and Sanitation of Vatican City, on the evening of his death. Cardinal Martínez Somalo then ceremonially ordered the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Joseph Ratzinger, to summon the cardinals of the world to Vatican City to elect a new pope. While his predecessors had been embalmed after death, the Vatican claimed that Pope John Paul II was not embalmed and lay in state without normal treatment for preservation, which is evident by the grey colour taken on by the body. Also, it was customary for popes to have their organs removed after death. Pope Pius X ended this practice during his reign, and the wish of some Poles that John Paul II's heart be buried in Poland was not obliged.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Funeral of Pope John Paul II」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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