Africa: A vibrant and growing church remembered a pilgrim pastor, writes Rob Crilly in Nairobi
The worshippers filled the vast chamber of the Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi and spilled down the steps into the car park.
In a scene repeated throughout Africa, a 5,000-strong congregation clapped, sang and danced to the memory of Pope John Paul II.
Sister Theresa Makau (47) spoke for many when she said the late pontiff had been a valuable unifying force.
"I remember him for the courage he had," she said.
"He went to Muslim countries, communist countries, and I respect the way he brought the different world religions closer and the way he brought reconciliation within the church itself."
But throughout the continent he will be remembered as the Pope who brought Africa to the heart of the church itself, making 12 extensive tours of the region.
During his papacy the number of Catholics in Africa doubled - reaching 100 million - at a time when congregations in Europe were declining. The result is that Cardinal Francis Arinze, a Vatican-based Nigerian, has been touted as a possible successor.
The Archbishop of Nairobi, Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki, leader of Kenya's eight million Catholics, said John Paul II had been instrumental in the rapid growth of the church in Africa.
"He was open and sincere, and asked us to study our traditional customs and see what we could incorporate into the church," he said. "The growth of our Christian communities was the result of that encouragement."
President Mwai Kibaki and his wife were among the vast congregation in Nairobi.
"The Pope will be remembered as a man who changed the world for the better and his name will go down in history as a Pope who interacted most with others through his vast travels around the world," said Mr Kibaki.
The service mixed Roman Catholic orthodoxy with African customs, with incense rising above the heads of traditional drummers.
Similar scenes were played out from war-torn Liberia to modern suburbs in Johannesburg.
In Malawi's main city of Blantyre, women worshippers wore traditional wrap-dresses emblazoned with the Pope's face.
The Pope's conservative stance on abortion and contraception, coupled with his commitment to relieving poverty, struck a chord with many Africans.
"This Pope will go down as John Paul the Great," said Archbishop of Accra Charles Palmer-Buckle, one of the bishops promoted on March 30th in John Paul's last round of appointments.
"With him, there were no shades of grey. It was either black or white, especially in the area of morality."
And African leaders spoke warmly of a man who had tried to smooth relations between world religions - vitally important in a continent where many countries are split between Muslim and Christian communities.
A spokeswoman for Nigerian president Olesegun Obasanjo said: "Pope John Paul II was not only the leader of Catholics around the world, including Nigeria, but also showed commitment and courage in his quest for mutual tolerance, harmony and unity among the world's religions."
Nigeria's 130 million population is divided roughly evenly between Christians and Muslims, with around 20 million Catholics.
South African president Thabo Mbeki expressed appreciation for the Pope's role in pursuit of global peace, development, and cooperation, including his support for the development and rebirth of Africa.
Although yesterday was a day for tributes, thoughts inevitably began to turn to the succession.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu lent his voice yesterday to calls for the cardinals to select the first African pope in over 1,500 years.