China holds services for John Paul II

SYMBOLIC MOVE At a ceremony at a church in Shanghai, Chinese Catholics lauded the Pope's record, despite Beijing's diplomatic problems with the Holy See

AP , SHANGHAI, CHINA

"He was truly a great Pope. He helped to make our church stronger and more unified. As a member of the Chinese church, of course I hope to see a Pope visit," Zhang said.

Chinese state-controlled media largely ignored news of the Pope's funeral, except to carry the Foreign Ministry's complaints to Italy and the Vatican for granting President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) a visa to attend the funeral.

The Vatican is the only European state to have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.