POPE Francis and the Dalai Lama were among spiritual leaders, statespeople and international dignatories whose messages of sympathy were read out at John Hume's funeral.
Restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus meant a limited number of mourners could attend the Mass in Derry's St Eugene's Cathedral.
But some of the many messages to the Hume family from across the world were read out by Bishop Donal McKeown.
A statement from the Vatican said Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the former SDLP leader's death and would pray for his family and all those who mourned.
"Mindful of the Christian faith that inspired John Hume's untiring efforts to promote dialogue, reconciliation and peace among the people of Northern Ireland, his Holiness commends his noble soul to the loving mercy of Almighty God."
A message from fellow Nobel laureate the Dalai Lama said he was pleased to be able to meet Mr Hume during one of his visits to the north.
"Indeed, his deep conviction in the power of dialogue and negotiations in resolving the problem in his homeland has been an example of non-violent resolution of issues," he said.
"It was his leadership and his faith in the power of negotiations that enabled the 1998 Good Friday Agreement to be reached. His steady persistence set an example for all of us to follow."
The Dalai Lama said Mr Hume's message of "peace and non-violence" would resonate long after his death.
"He lived a truly meaningful life," he said.
Messages were also read from former US president Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U2 singer Bono.
Mr Clinton described Mr Hume as "Ireland's Martin Luther King", while Bono, who ahead of the Good Friday Agreement referendum shared the stage of Belfast's Waterfront Hall with the then SDLP leader and his Ulster Unionist counterpart David Trimble, likened him to a "giant".
Meanwhile, the family of leading Irish-American, the late Tip O'Neill, also sent a statement describing John Hume as representing "the spirit of peace" in Ireland.
"From the first days of the civil rights movement to the Good Friday Agreement his was the strategy that brought an end to violence in the north," the O'Neill family said.
