Bells toll for Vaclav Havel

Bells tolled and sirens wailed on Friday for Velvet Revolution icon Vaclav Havel as world leaders and ordin-ary Czechs bade an emotional goodbye to the dissid-ent playwright turned president.

World figures including Bill and Hillary Clinton and former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright bowed their heads for a minute’s silence that marked the start of the funeral service for Havel in Prague’s St Vitus Cathedral.

Across the country, the nation came to a standstill in memory of Mr Havel, who in 1989 steered his compatriots through the bloodless revolution that toppled Soviet-backed communism in the then-Czechoslovakia.

Crowds of people, many wearing ribbons in the Czech national colours of red, white and blue crossed by a tiny black sash of mourning, gathered in the historic centre of Prague to watch the requiem Mass on large screens set up close to the cathedral.

Pope Benedict XVI paid tribute to the President, who died on Sunday aged 75, recalling “how courag-eously Mr Havel defended human rights at a time when these were systematically denied to the people of your country.”

“I cordially impart my apostolic blessing to all who mourn in the hope of resurrection to new life,” the Pope said in a letter read at the funeral by Cardinal Giovanni Coppa.

Describing Mr Havel as a “giant”, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in Prague he had “made Eastern Europe swing towards democracy” and had “always stood up for the reunification of the continent”.

The Mass was celebrated by Prague Archbishop Dominik Duka, who recalled how he played chess with Mr Havel in a communist prison.

“I’m grateful to you for those moments in prison back then, and for my freedom here and now,” Archbishop Duka said.

Czech-born Albright said in a speech she had been honoured by the friendship of Havel, who “valued freedom not as a goal on its own, but as a means of finally achieving the victory of truth”.

“We will miss him terribly, but we will never, never forget him,” added Ms Albright.

People in the streets applauded her words, then doffed their hats as the Czech anthem played in the cathedral to the sound of a 21-gun salute fired from a hill opposite Prague Castle.