Monday, April 4, 2005 | 9:33 a.m.
Thousands of Las Vegas Roman Catholics filled churches on Sunday, joining the world in mourning for Pope John Paul II and wondering who might become the next pontiff.
The pope died in Rome at 11:37 a.m. PST on Saturday.
Bishop Joseph Pepe of the Diocese of Las Vegas celebrated a special Mass at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Guardian Angel Cathedral where an overflow crowd spilled into the parking lot.
"I ask everyone to pray for the repose of his soul and that he may be granted the reward of eternal happiness," Pepe said.
Mass at the cathedral east of the Las Vegas Strip began with 15 minutes of tolling church bells. The bishop asked other Catholic churches in the Las Vegas Valley to toll their bells at the same time. Inside, the cathedral's white walls were draped in black.
"He wanted everyone to have a personal look at faith," the bishop said, recalling the emotion he felt when he met the pope.
There will be a nine-day mourning period, the bishop said.
Catholic churches displayed photographs or portraits of Pope John Paul II at the front of their altars. Easter lilies, red roses and candles surrounded the pope's picture at St. Thomas More Catholic Community on East Pecos Road.
The Rev. Father Pat Render of St. Thomas More Church remembered the pontiff during the mass.
"Hear our prayer today for John Paul," Render said. "May your spirit continue to be with us."
Render said the community will celebrate a special mass in honor of the pope at 7 p.m. Monday. Other churches throughout the valley have scheduled special masses for the pontiff through the week.
For 17-year Las Vegas resident Carol Alleman, the 24 hour news coverage on television held her spellbound.
"I didn't feel like I could leave him," Alleman, accompanied by her 12-year-old granddaughter, Heather, said Sunday. Alleman said she stayed up until 3 a.m. Saturday, praying and watching TV.
"He's the only pope I remember," Alleman said. "I felt very, very sad."
Lupe Bribibsca described the pope as "awesome."
Gathered with her family at Sunday morning mass, Bribibsca said it was a sad day.
For some the big question is who will succeed John Paul, a pope who traveled more than any other pontiff in history and who once visited Boulder City on an evangelical tour.
"It will be interesting to see who succeeds him," Michelle Capriotti said, adding that she doesn't "want a liberal pope."
Although too busy to watch the pope's death on television, Capriotti said her parents and those of her husband, Jeff, had been glued to TV in California and Pennsylvania where they reside, respectively.
"It's like the Michael Jackson trial, people from the 1960s and 1970s are watching all the time," Capriotti said.
Linda Ramos missed seeing the pope when she was in Rome last September, but believed the pontiff's death was for the best given his failing health in recent weeks.
"He died peacefully," Ramos said. "No hardship, no pain and in his own apartment. He will rest in peace. It was his time."
Ramos, too, said she wondered who the new pope might be. "There are a few good people there to choose from," Ramos said of the church's cardinals.
Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said he joined the world in mourning the pontiff.
"The pope was a man of deep faith, incomparable compassion and great conviction who inspired millions of people in his lifetime," Ensign said. "In the final days of his full and rich life, he exhibited a courage and dignity for which we should all strive. May God continue to watch over him and bless him."
Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said that the pope shaped the 20th century and created a lasting legacy through his work to spread democracy and freedom to Poland and bring an end to Soviet control in Europe.
"An ambassador for peace, Pope John Paul II stood steadfast against communism and condemned discrimination against all people," Berkley said. "He diligently worked for reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people. His trip to Israel illustrated his strong commitment to peace between the Israelis and Palestinians and stability in the region."
Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., sent his condolences to Nevada's Catholics.
"He had a kind spirit and a gracious demeanor that comforted people of all faiths," Gibbons said. "Pope John Paul II will be remembered in history for his quiet grace and for his strong leadership that helped foster peace and freedom in so many corners of the world."
Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., also said he mourned the death of the pope.
"Pope John Paul II provided the nations of the world, whether religious or not, with a moral compass through some of the most tumultuous periods of modern times," Porter said.
"My prayers are with the members and leadership of the Catholic Church in this time of extraordinary transition," Porter said.
Even those outside of mainstream churches paid tributes to the pontiff.
Davis Paradise Valley Funeral Home, at 6200 S. Eastern Ave., set out register books in the lobby for mourners to sign, said Jeffrey Fisher, a funeral home director there.
The books will be forwarded to the Vatican after mourners sign them. Those wishing to send a personal message to the Vatican may go to the mortuary between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. until Wednesday.
"Robert Falcon, the general manager here, came up with the idea," Fisher said.
Fisher said that Davis workers also passed out holy cards at masses celebrated in Las Vegas churches on Sunday. The pope may have spent 26 years as head of the Roman Catholic Church, but he "was born into eternal life on April 2, 2005," he said.
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