Tens of thousands of people have gathered in Rome to mark the first anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II with an evening prayer vigil.
Pope Benedict XVI blessed the candlelit event in St Peter's Square at 2137 local time (1937 GMT), the exact time of his predecessor's death.
He appeared in the window of his apartment, where John Paul died, to address the crowds gathered below.
Bells also rang out in John Paul's homeland Poland to mark the moment.
"He continues to be present in our minds and in our hearts, he continues to communicate his love for God and his love for man, he continues to arouse in everyone, especially the young, enthusiasm for goodness and the courage to follow Jesus and his teachings."
Throughout the day, thousands of people attended anniversary ceremonies in Poland and around the world.
Some 8,000 people took part in an open-air mass held in John Paul's home town of Wadowice, southern Poland.
The main square was decorated with yellow and white papal banners, along with national and local flags.
"We came to pray for his quick beatification and also to pray to him to protect our family," said Wojciech Gladysz, who had travelled 350 km (220 miles) from Warsaw with his wife and three children for the anniversary.
ref:] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4869090.stm
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