Circumpolar world mourns Pope John Paul II

Leaders throughout the circumpolar nations hailed John Paul II as a powerful proponent of peace and unity.

Josef Motzfeldt, member of the Greenland home rule cabinet, said even though religion and politics often are separated, Pope John Paul II never stopped protesting against social, ethnic and political unfairness. Motzfeldt said the late pope would be remembered for his fight for tolerance between religions.

The death of John Paul II prompted grief among Finland’s small, 9,000-strong Roman Catholic community, reports the Helsingin Sanomat. A special series of services was held in St. Henry’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Helsinki, and books of condolence were opened to the public for signing.

In Norway, thousands of the country’s Catholics attended special services over the weekend and flags waved at half-mast at Catholic churches and organizations.

John Paul II is remembered in Norway for his visit in June 1989, his first visit to a country with a Lutheran state church. He conducted part of his masses in Norway in Norwegian, and the Aftenposten says the Pope sought out a Norwegian living in Rome to teach him more of the language.

In Norway, the late pope was often criticized for his conservative views.

“He was both a radical and a reactionary,” said former Oslo Bishop Gunnar Stålsett. “He took the pulse of contemporary life around him, but opened up for strongly conservative theological and political forces, in such a way that in many ways it’s now a weakened Catholic Church that seeks a new leader.”

Across Russia, candles for the Pope were lit both in Catholic cathedrals and Orthodox churches.

In his message of condolences, Russian president Vladimir Putin called the late pontiff an “outstanding figure of our times” and praised his pursuit of a noble goal, namely “to establish society on the principles of humanism and solidarity.”