The funeral began with the Mass in front of the St. Peter's Basilica. The choir started the service by singing the Latin prayer: "Grant him eternal rest, O Lord, and shine your light on him forever." Pope John Paul II's simple cypress coffin, emblazoned with the papal emblem, was laid on the steps of the church.
The Reuters agency reported that four kings, five queens and at least 70 presidents and prime ministers attended the open-air service to pay homage to Karol Wojtyla. Several hundred thousands believers poured in the square in front of the basilica.
The main celebrant of the Mass, Cardinal Joseph Ratznger, who gave a touching sermon, said that Pope was looking at and blessing everybody.
Ratzinger, the dean of the college of cardinals, spoke about the life of the deceased Holy Father.
He told the gathered that they could be sure that now "our beloved Pope is looking at us from a window of the house of the Father, he can see us and he is blessing us".
Ratzinger praised the Polish pontiff for waking up "our tired faith". The pope has told us to stand up and walk in the faith, the cardinal said adding that the Pope John Paul II remained a priest until his end.
Ratzinger, who spoke, among other things, about the pope's relations with young people, was several times interrupted by applause of the gathered.
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, who arrived in Rome on Thursday, was situated in the second row, immediately behind Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, which can be interpreted as an important sign for the Vatican protocol.