Adored, scorned, impossible to ignore in life, Silvio Berlusconi in death drew tributes even from critics, and ever more lush praise from admirers, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pope Francis.
Following word of Berlusconi's death on Monday in a Milan hospital, where he was being treated for chronic leukemia, reaction poured in from around the world, from national leaders to Pope Francis to announcers who burst into tears on one of his TV networks, for the populist three-time premier and media mogul.
