Kostunica offered condolences to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Belgrade, Stanislav Hocevar, and the apostolic nuncio in Belgrade, Eugenio Sbarbaro.
Patriarch Pavle, who sent letters of condolence to Cardinals Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Catholic Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Walter Casper, chairman of the Papal Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, and Nuncio Sbarbaro and Archbishop Hocevar, wrote that he was sharing the grief caused by the Pope's death and joining in prayers that he may rest in peace, the Beta news agency reported.