Requiem - Pope John Paul II
A few minutes ago, the Internet news sites carried the news that Pope John Paul II had passed away. It seemed appropriate that I should mourn the man who came to personify the Church and its teachings to me.
For most of my life, the Pope was a fixture and an institution we never questioned. But as I grew in awareness of the recent history of the church, I realized that Pope John Paul II was an exceptional figure in many ways. When he was elected, many wondered if a non-Italian could serve as Bishop of Rome. But when he took office, he started to redefine the role of a true leader of a global institution.
He travelled widely (never before had any Pope visited so many countries) and was a prolific writer (books, encyclicals and letters). He reached out constantly to the masses, especially the youth.
To me, his legacy would be that he reminded us (the Church) about the meaning of being faithful. He stood firm in the face of controversy and defended Catholic teachings, even when it ran against popular sentiment. He rallied Catholics around the world and taught us what it meant to be true to the traditions that we have inherited. Yes, he was a true Evangelist, in word and in deed.