Whatever you think of the Catholic Church, you have to give them credit for knowing how to put on a show. An abundance of glitz and gilt lent the funeral service high drama and got Catholic hearts a fluttering, while the five-star guest list, ranging from Prince Charles and Kofi Annan to George W. Bush, was like a political version of the Oscars. The three hour mass, which began at 10:00 a.m. CET and was led by the German cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was attended by tens of thousands of mourners in St Peter's Square -- and millions more outside -- and included almost as many Polish flags. Enormous banners inscribed with Krakow made the event seem even more like the Eurovision Song Contest. An estimated 2 million came from Poland alone to mourn for Karol Wojtyla.

For a church leader whose pronouncements were often unpopular and controversial, the outpouring of grief which the pope's death has unleashed is certainly remarkable. It is hard to avoid comparisons with the emotional outburst in Britain following the 1997 death of Princess Diana. Except that this time around we are talking about someone who did a bit more than marry a Prince and look good in a tiara.

Whether you agree with the John Paul II's opinions or not, there appears to be a growing consensus that the pope was a mighty figure who stuck to his guns and strode the world stage like a colossus and commanded respect. It is this phenomenon of what the life and death of the Pope John Paul II have meant for the world which preoccupies today's German papers.

The center-left Sueddeutsche Zeitung calls today's trek to Italy the greatest pilgrimage in the history of Rome, the Catholic Church, Christianity and the world. The commentator expresses surprise that in a time when many churches stand empty on Sundays, such a large amount of people are prepared to get on a plane, train or bus to come and see the pope's body. Such an outpouring, the paper writes, is more often sparked by major events such as a tsunami or planes crashing into a skyscraper, rather than as an expression of piety. "The more secular our lives become, the more importance we place on religious rites when things go unexpectedly awry."

In answer to the question as to why the death of the pope in Rome has an effect on people's private lives the paper says "we have all become media people and the all-pervasive live TV broadcasts have made the pope's suffering and death ubiquitous." The paper sees the pope's importance in his unswerving convictions. "It is precisely now, in a period when world personalities become ever scarcer, when people yearn for real authority. Authority which represents a vision of a better world and which acts as a bridge-builder between this world and the next." In the ceremony the Catholic Church appears to have achieved global unity and proven that piety, so often proclaimed dead, is alive and well.

The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, on the other hand, puts the fascination the world had for the pope down to his personal charisma. "In John Paul II, charisma was combined with leadership qualities -- attributes often not suited to this world." The commentator argues that the modern papal institution has, since the end of the 19th century, been a mixture of dogma and diplomacy, which makes it a form of power unique on the entire planet. It is the Catholic Church's combination of "archaic and modern rituals and communication methods that explains why so many people all over the world, and even outside the church, have this secret fascination for the pope."

On the one hand Pope John Paul II was a man of dogma, who strengthened rather than weakened the church's traditions. On the other he was also a rational and political player who viewed dialogue and diplomacy as a crucial part of his ministry. "No other pontiff before him took his duty of building bridges so literally: to other religions, to other Christian denominations, but above all to young people, to the future of the church as well as to the world." Whether in the synagogue or the mosque, the pope was not afraid to break taboos. "An admission of the church's guilt or prayers alongside other religious leaders -- these were areas where even his own cardinals had difficulty emulating him."

The paper concludes by saying that the pope's main aim was to overcome the barriers which divide people from each other and from God. "Through his words, actions and gestures he was able, like no pope before him, to create an incomparable sense of unity with himself, with humanity and with God." The concrete evidence of this ability is shown in the pictures of the crowds who have come to Rome today.

The Berliner Zeitung also highlights the pope's ability to bring people together and is equally impressed by the scale of the pope's funeral. The event is larger than Princess Dianna's funeral which attracted 2 million mourners and even bigger than this year's pilgrimage to Mecca, which had 2.56 million pilgrims. The paper however views today's event as something more than exclusively to do with religion. "On this Friday Marshall McLuhan's 'global village' has found a place. It is called Rome. An ancient dream has come true...that all people, from all over the world, should be able to live together peacefully and in equality."