EDINBURGH - The Roman Catholic church in Scotland began the lengthy process on Monday of finding a replacement for Cardinal Thomas Winning, its controversial and outspoken leader who died at the weekend.
The tough, grey-haired priest, who was both revered and reviled for always speaking his mind, collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack at his Glasgow home on Sunday morning. He was 76.
Pope John Paul sent a message of sympathy to Winning's Archdiocese of Glasgow, saying he was saddened to learn of the death of a zealous and generous pastor "outstanding in defence of human life and commitment to the poor."
Services of remembrance for the man dubbed "Red Tom" as much for his political views as his bright cardinal's cape were held throughout Scotland.
Mourning Catholics in England were also expected at a memorial mass at Westminster cathedral in London.
Meanwhile 12 senior Scottish Roman Catholic priests were meeting in Glasgow on Monday to choose an interim leader.
The College of Consultors, as the body is known, is likely to choose an administrative head of Scotland's 750,000 Catholics in a matter of days, a spokesman said.
It is then up to the Pope to appoint a new archbishop of Glasgow, a process likely to take many months. The Vatican must also decide whether the new archbishop will become a cardinal, he added.
IRREPLACEABLE FIGURE
Filling Winning's unique position in Scottish public life will be more difficult.
A man of the people to the last, he rose from humble beginnings as the son of a miner on the outskirts of Glasgow to a become a champion of the poor and needy of all creeds.
Thousands are expected to turn out for his funeral -- a tribute to the admiration he inspired on both sides of the religious divide in Scotland, a predominantly Protestant country not noted for its open-minded tolerance.
The logistics of organising such a large event mean a date has not been fixed for his funeral, although the church said full details would be released shortly.
His body will be taken to the diocese offices on Monday evening, where it will lie in state for several days before being taken for burial in St Andrews Cathedral on the banks of the river Clyde.
Scotland's oldest Catholic cathedral, St Andrews was built in 1816 as a religious centre for the floods of Irish immigrants into the west coast of Scotland during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Winning will be buried in a crypt beneath the cathedral that was his spiritual home throughout a life dedicated to the service of God and the Catholic faith.
Besides the Pope, tributes poured in from leaders from every walk of life. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Winning would be greatly missed.
Anti-abortion group LIFE said the movement in the UK had lost "one of its most significant champions."
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