The Holy Father died at 9.37 this evening in his private apartment. At 8 p.m. the
celebration of Mass for Divine Mercy Sunday began in the Holy Father's room, presided
by Archbishop Stanis»aw Dziwisz with the participation of Cardinal Marian Jaworski, of
Archbishop Stanis»aw Ry»ko and of Msgr. Mieczys»aw Mokrzycki. During the course
of the Mass, the Viaticum was administered to the Holy Father and, once again,
the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. The Holy Father's final hours were marked
by the uninterrupted prayer of all those who were assisting him in his pious death,
and by the choral participation in prayer of the thousands of faithful who, for
many hours, had been gathered in St. Peter's Square. Present at the moment of the
death of John Paul II were: his two personal secretaries Archbishop Stanis»aw Dziwisz
and Msgr. Mieczys»aw Mokrzycki, Cardinal Marian Jaworski, Archbishop Stanis»aw
Ry»ko, Fr. Tadeusz Stycze½, the three nuns, Handmaidens of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus, who assist in the Holy Father's apartment, guided by the Superior Sr. Tobiana Sobódka,
and the Pope's personal physician Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, with the two doctors on call, Dr.
Alessandro Barelli and Dr. Ciro D'Allo, and the two nurses on call. Immediately
afterwards Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano arrived, as did the Camerlengo
of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal Eduardo Martínez Somalo, Archbishop Leonardo Sandri,
substitute of the Secretariat of State, and Archbishop Paolo Sardi, vice-camerlengo
of the Holy Roman Church. Thereafter, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, dean of the College
of Cardinals, and Cardinal Jozef Tomko also arrived. Tomorrow, Divine Mercy
Sunday, at 10.30 a.m., a Mass for the repose of the soul of the Holy Father will be
celebrated in St. Peter's Square, presided over by Cardinal Angelo Sodano. At 12
noon, the Marian prayer of Easter time, the Regina Coeli, will be recited. The
body of the late pontiff is expected to be brought to the Vatican Basilica no earlier
than Monday afternoon. The first General Congregation of Cardinals will be held
at 10 a.m. on Monday April 4 in the Bologna Hall of the Apostolic Palace.