George W Bush, US President:"The Catholic Church has lost its shepherd. The world has lost a champion of human freedom and a good and faithful servant of God has been called home. Pope John Paul II was himself an inspiration to millions of Americans and to so many more throughout the world ... We're grateful to God for sending such a man, a son of Poland, who became the bishop of Rome and a hero for the ages."
Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General: "I recall very fondly my meetings with him, particularly sitting with him in his private quarters discussing the question of war and peace when we were thinking about what to do in Kosovo. "He ... (was) extremely concerned about the world we lived in, and like me, he also felt that in war, all are losers."
Gerhard Schroeder, German Chancellor: "He influenced the peaceful integration of Europe during his pontificate in many ways. Time and again he acted with wisdom and respect for cultures and people's traditions to develop solutions to humanity's problems.
Tony Blair, British Prime Minister:"The world has lost a religious leader who was revered across people of all faiths and none. He was an inspiration, a man of extraordinary faith, dignity and courage. Throughout a hard and often difficult life, he stood for social justice and on the side of the oppressed, whether as a young man facing the Nazi occupation in Poland or later in challenging the communist regime."
Shimon Peres, Israeli Vice Premier:" Pope John Paul II ... exhibited not only a big spirit but a good one. Even though he represented Catholicism, he managed, with his talent and personality, to also represent our entire global partnership."
Paul Martin, Prime Minister Of Canada: "Unforgettable ... were his visits to Quebec, as well as his participation in the World Youth Day in Toronto in July of 2002, which inspired hundreds of thousands of young people with the strength and clarity of his moral vision."
Hugo Chavez, President Of Venezuela:"For us Catholics, John Paul II will be remembered as a traveling Pope... and we should also remember he preached world peace. When the United States invaded Iraq, for example, John Paul II said it was an illegal and immoral act."
Jose Manuel Barroso, EU Commission President:"John Paul II will be remembered as someone who played an essential role in the reunification of Europe and in the advance of ideas of freedom and democracy in our continent. Europeans will never forget his struggle for peace and human dignity."
Queen Elizabeth II:"Her majesty remembers the untiring efforts of Pope John Paul II in promoting peace and goodwill throughout the world.
Bill Clinton, Former US President:"In speaking powerfully and eloquently for mercy and reconciliation to people divided by old hatreds and persecuted by abuse of power, the Holy Father was a beacon of light not just for Catholics, but for all people."
Henry Kissinger, Former US Secretary of State:"John Paul II was one of the greatest men of the last century. Perhaps the greatest."
Lech Walesa, Former Polish President and Solidarity Leader:"I think we shall keep discovering how much the Holy Father worked for us and struggled for us. He spoke to us through his illness and through his suffering served to the very end ... (Without him) there would be no end of communism or at least much later and the end would have been bloody."
Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Poland's First Non-Communist Prime Minister: "The greatest and maybe the only authority is gone. An era is over forever but his wisdom will also last forever."
Margaret Thatcher, Former British Prime Minister:"His life was a long struggle against the lies employed to excuse evil. By combating the falsehoods of communism and proclaiming the true dignity of the individual, his was the moral force behind victory in the Cold War." Religious leaders
Cardinal Theodore Mccarrick, Archbishop of Washington:"In a certain sense he was 'American'. He enjoyed people. He had a great sense of humour. He was humble, all the things that America likes in their leaders, and I think we saw that in him, therefore we became very close to him.
Cardinal Dario Castrillon of Columbia:"He is in glory while we continue in the church, following the paths of Christ."