Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu is mourning the loss of the Roman Catholic leader, while saying the next pope should come from Africa.
The South African Nobel Peace Prize winner said Sunday he hopes cardinals will elect an African when they meet this month at the Vatican.
Also today, the head of Ethiopia's Orthodox church, Abune Paulos, praised John Paul as a great man who spoke of peace among religions.
Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo expressed his condolences, noting the late pontiff promoted religious tolerance and democracy in the West African nation.
And African Union Chairman, Alpha Oumar Konare, said the pope was a great advocate for Africa and a moral authority for the world.
Some information for this report provided by AFP, Reuters and AP.