Catholics gathered yesterday at local churches to pray for the gravely ill Pope John Paul II, even amid brief morning confusion over whether the pontiff had died.

Some news agencies yesterday morning reported he had died, prompting immediate denials from the Vatican. Locally, St. James Cathedral added to the confusion when it unfurled black-and-white banners and started tolling its bells — actions to be taken once the pope dies.

Cathedral officials had relied on the erroneous news reports, said St. James administrator Larry Brouse.

The Very Rev. Michael G. Ryan, pastor at St. James Cathedral, briefly acknowledged the confusion during a 12:10 p.m. Mass yesterday, but mainly spoke about the pope's gifts to the church.

He recalled the pope at the start of his ministry, a vigorous young man traveling to all parts of the world. But even as the pope's body grew frail and began to fail, he "gave us his final gift," Ryan said. "He not only showed us how to live. He showed us how to die."

Peter Emau, 50, a Bainbridge Island resident, was at St. James to pray for the pope. Emau remembered how excited he was when, in 1983, the pope visited his village in northeast Uganda. Emau was in the U.S. at the time, but heard — and read — about it from his parents and news accounts.

"It's the spiritual father of the church coming to visit us. He reached to the poor. We are poor," Emau said. "People with power usually never think of visiting our village. But he said: 'Yes, I care about you. You belong to me. You belong to us, to the church.' "

Leilani Quatchon, 52, of Renton, was also praying for the pope, whom she had seen at a World Youth Day gathering in Manila in 1995. "My heart is broken," she said. "But I'm also joyful because I know he'll be with God."

John Sullivan, a staff member at Immaculate Conception Church in Everett, said people were praying for the pope to heal, or to die peacefully, "... and God will answer each of those prayers. It may not be the answer that each person wants, but all of us have to go home some day. The ultimate healing is to go home."

Seattle Time staff reporter Christopher Schwarzen contributed to report. Janet I. Tu: 206-464-2272 or jtu@seattletimes.com