In Southland, Tears, Prayers and Memories

Southern Californians paid tribute Saturday to Pope John Paul II, marking his death with tears of loss, smiles about special memories and relief that he was finally at rest after his long struggle with illness.

At Roman Catholic parishes throughout Southern California, bells tolled and black bunting was draped over entrances as a nine-day mourning period began. Some Catholics rushed to churches upon hearing the news. One was a tearful Kim Smithson at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood. “I am sad, but I am happy for him,” the artist said. He spread “a lot of love to everybody and every country.”

In Orange County, Bishop Tod D. Brown said there wouldn’t be much change in the Masses celebrated Saturday and today, though the pope’s death would probably be woven into homilies and prayers.

“He was a great gift from God to our church, to Christians and people of other faiths and to humanity,” Brown said.

Southland political leaders expressed condolences, and Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn directed that flags be lowered to half-staff. In memory of John Paul’s 1987 visit to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Hahn also requested that the stadium’s Olympic torch be lighted.

“The pope was a strong moral compass for those of the Catholic faith and an example for all humankind to follow,” Hahn said in a statement.

Religious leaders outside the Catholic Church hailed the pope -- the first to visit a synagogue and mosque -- for his interfaith outreach.

Rabbi Mark Diamond, executive director of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California, said the pope’s groundbreaking visits to Jerusalem, where he prayed at the Western Wall, and his denunciation of anti-Semitism as a sin endeared him to Jews.

Maher Hathout, a spokesman for the Islamic Center of Southern California, who met the pope during his 1987 visit, said John Paul improved relations with Muslims.

“I hope the new pope will follow in his footsteps of bridging gaps” among races, religions and classes, Hathout said.

Some Protestant ministers said they were preparing sermons for today with remarks about John Paul’s life.

The Rev. Cedrick Bridgeforth, pastor of Crenshaw United Methodist Church, said he would preach about the pontiff’s qualities of forgiveness, exemplified by his blessing of his would-be assassin, Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca.

At Lutheran Church of the Master in West Los Angeles, Pastor John Rollefson said he would discuss how the pope demonstrated that “as Christians, we need not live in fear of dying.”

Others reminisced about John Paul’s legacies -- or their unforgettable personal encounters with him.

Leia Smith said she and colleagues at the Catholic Worker home in Santa Ana, a poverty relief organization, talked Saturday about the pope’s passionate advocacy for the poor.

“He called for the dignity of the human person, that each person’s life should be treated as something to be appropriately respected,” said Smith, 48. “He didn’t hesitate to criticize all economic systems for failing to provide for the poor.”

At an evening Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, Msgr. Kevin Kostelnik touched on the theme of resurrection and praised the pope’s sense of humor. The prelate spoke of a 1990 Vatican visit he made with now-Cardinal Roger M. Mahony.

Triggering laughter from the standing-room-only crowd, Kostelnik recalled that the pope had asked, “How is Hollywood?” The monsignor added, “How wonderfully human and down to earth!”

At St. Thomas the Apostle Church several miles to the west, Norma Mansilla, 37, said glimpses of the pope during his visits to Guatemala filled her with aspirations for a better life.

“Guatemala is a country with a lot of conflict and war,” said Mansilla, who lives in the Pico-Union district. “His visits brought us confidence and hope.”

Across the nation, Americans honored the pope.

At Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Lisa Jenkins of Orlando, Fla., offered hopes for the future: “It’s a sad day. I’m praying for the world to open its eyes for what he stood for -- peace, morality and more.”

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Times staff writers Susana Enriquez and Natasha Lee and Associated Press contributed to this report.