The death of Pope John Paul II resulted in an end of era in the life of the Roman-Catholic Church and modern history. He had been credited to bringing down communism in Eastern Europe, by being the spiritual inspiration and a catalyst for “a peaceful revolution” in Poland.
The funeral day of Pope John Paul II was held on April 8, 2005, exactly six days after his death. The funeral was lead by the novemdiales devotional in which the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches keeps nine days of mourning.
When Pope John Paul II died, Camerlengo Eduardo Cardinal MartÃnez Somalo removed the ‘Pope’s Ring of the Fisherman’ from his finger. Then ceremonially it was crushed with the silver hammer in the presence of the College of Cardinals members. It was done to prevent the creation of forged, backdated documents, which would have to be approved by John Paul II.
Pope John Paul’s funeral generated the largest gathering of heads of state in history. Four kings, five queens, nearly 70 presidents and prime ministers, more than 14 leaders of other religions from all over the world attended the funeral ceremony of pope John Paul II.