ROME - Millions push toward the bier of Pope John Paul II. Britain postpones a royal wedding. Television coverage is nonstop, and major newspapers run headlines proclaiming the dead pontiff "The Last Giant."

The outpouring has surprised many on a continent that has moved away not only from the Roman Catholic Church during the pope's 26-year pontificate but also from religion in general.

"It's almost as if his religion was irrelevant to his popularity," said Franco Ferrarotti, chair of the University of Rome's sociology department and a well-known cultural commentator. Ferrarotti admitted he was stunned by the millions who've flocked to Rome. "On substance, he disagreed with the majority of people."

That substance includes issues such as contraception, abortion, euthanasia and homosexuality, where polls repeatedly show the pope's views at odds with most Europeans.

Less than 20 percent of Europeans said they attended church - any church - in a poll conducted last year by the European Union. In Nordic Europe, that number is less than 5 percent. Beyond statistics, Europeans often talk about secularism as a goal, and John Paul II reportedly was frustrated that Europe's proposed constitution makes no mention of God.

Patrick Weil, a sociologist at the University of Paris, believes that the throngs of people show that while Europeans may not agree with the church's teachings, its cultural roots are deep.

"We live a secular life, but when a big moment comes along, we go back to church," he said. "Face it, people marry and are buried in church. They just spend very little time there in between. But in the end, it is part of our cultural identity."

Johannes Christian Koecke, who studies religion and ethics at Germany's prestigious Konrad Adenauer Stiftung research center, admitted that he's been baffled all week by what's happening in Rome.

Having once met the pope, he said, he understands the man's charisma. He also wondered if the reaction to his death doesn't have more to do with religion than a secular continent would want to admit.

Europeans, he suggested, may have stopped going to church partly because it doesn't live up to modern expectations. People expect great meals at a restaurant, great music at a concert and great spiritual moments in church, he said.

"But so much of church is simply routine. People decide it's boring and move on. But this pope wasn't boring, ever," he said.