FOR one parish priest responsible for Roman Catholic churches in Bewdley and Stourport, the death of the Pope was particularly poignant.

Father John Cross, who leads congregations at Bewdley's Holy Family and Stourport's St Wulstan's churches, once celebrated mass in Rome with the late Pope John Paul II.

It came about when Father Cross was spending four years studying for the priesthood in Rome, between 1989 and 1993, a period during which he met the Pope on several occasions.

"All the students in my final year had a Mass with the Holy Father in his holy chapel," he said. "My privilege was to read the gospel and celebrate Mass with the Holy Father. It was a wonderful experience."

Father Cross also saw the human side of the Pope, explaining: "We had a bit of a laugh afterwards."

He added: "He wasn't so far away and so distant you couldn't have a laugh with him."

Summing up the mood among parishioners over the death of the Pope, whose funeral will be held tomorrow, Father Cross said: "Yes, there is sadness but there is a realisation that people can't live for ever."

He went on: "He has made a tremendous contribution to the life of the church. There's a lot to be grateful for and thankful for."

Further tribute was paid by Mike Oborski, Consul of the Republic of Poland for the West Midlands and a leading member of Wyre Forest's Polish community.

"Pope John Paul II will be remembered as one of the greatest and most dearly loved figures in the whole of Polish history," he said.

Mr Oborski added: "The Pope has been the ultimate moral authority for Poles during the 15 years of harsh reforms and often painful transformation from communism into a western democracy."

He went on: "For Poles here, as everywhere, the sense of loss is very real and very tangible."

It was not just Catholics who mourned the Pope's passing.

The Anglican Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Revd Dr Peter Selby, said: "This is a time of great loss to the world, to all Christians and to the Roman Catholic Church, in particular."