TENS of thousands of mourners from across the south have attended services in honour of Pope John Paul II following his death at the age of 84.

There were prayers and silences at Masses across Hampshire yesterday as Catholics paid their respects to their leader.

Special services will continue throughout the week as the Pope's body lies in state in St Peter's Basilica in Rome.

As many as 40,000 practising Catholics attend Mass each Sunday across the Portsmouth Diocese area of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands, Bournemouth, Poole, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

Their leader, Bishop Crispian Hollis, the Bishop of Portsmouth, met Pope John Paul II a number of times during his 26-year pontificate.

Paying tribute to the Pope, the Bishop said: "He has championed the poor, the unborn and the elderly, the sick and the disabled and, surprisingly to some, the right of women to play a full part in the life of the Church and in society as a whole.

"He has ceaselessly travelled the world. He has reached out to other Christian communities.

"He had time to sit down with me to listen to my concerns and to take a lively interest in all that we are trying to do in the diocese. These have been very special moments for me in my life and work as a bishop."

Hundreds gathered at St Joseph's in Bugle Street, Southampton, as Father Mark Hogan led special prayers at yesterday's mass.

He said: "He believed every single person was important and special and there were no exceptions to that.

"I think one of the things he will be remembered for is that in some senses the Catholic Church is more visibly a family across the world now because he travelled to so many countries to meet people."

The Catholic Church in Southampton will unite again tonight for a Requiem Mass at St Edmund's Church in The Avenue, at 7.30pm.

This will be followed by a special ecumenical inter-faith memorial service at St Edmund's on Sunday at 5pm.

Former Hampshire Euro MP Roy Perry told the Daily Echo one of his most treasured mementoes is the photograph of him and his wife Veronica being received at an audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1997.

He said: "By a stroke of misfortune on my wife's part, as she was suffering from a broken leg and was in a wheelchair, we had the good fortune of being placed in the front row.

"His Holiness made a particular point of coming over and speaking to us. In that simple act of singling out the woman in the wheelchair, rather than much more important figures, he showed his humanity, care and compassion.

"The world is a poorer place without him."

The Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Dennis Harryman, added: "This is a time of great sadness not only for the Roman Catholic community

but for many throughout the world.

"The Pope was someone who united many communities, and never tired in his work to make the world a better place.

"He came from a humble background in Poland, and reached out to those who found themselves with misfortune of whatever kind. He will be missed and, in his passing, is in our thoughts and prayers."

John Paul II's 26-year pontificate was the third-longest ever.

Also, the Pole was the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years.

His funeral date has yet to be set, but could be announced today.

The Pope died in his apartment at the Vatican in Rome on Saturday night surrounded by his closest aides.

He had been suffering heart and kidney problems.

His death was quickly announced to tens of thousands of people gathered in St Peter's Square.

The news was met with long applause, an Italian sign of respect, followed by several minutes of silence as the crowd took in the news.

Catholic Church leaders will elect a successor within weeks.