With Pope John Paul II's passing on Saturday night, the world has lost not only a religious figurehead, but a remarkable man who had true humanity in his heart. He will be mourned not only by Catholics worldwide, but by a wide spectrum of people who hold this Pope in such high regard for his tireless international humanitarian work.
Not everybody agreed with his uncompromising moral teachings, especially regarding contraception, his views on homosexuals and the place of women in society (whom he wrote should naturally aspire to motherhood). Nonetheless, he held universal respect for his beliefs in humanity and the unity of the world which saw him travel across the globe to countries stricken by war and poverty amongst other socio-political problems.
The widely held esteem for him is shown not only by the numbers of pilgrims, but non-Catholics alike, flocking to Rome to pay their respects (a logistical nightmare for the Italian authorities). Most of the world's leaders will also be present for his funeral in a few days' time, to see off this moral crusader who implored them to seek peaceful remedies to their conflicts. The world has lost a true spiritual leader - not only in the religious sense, but also in the humanist sense.
R.I.P Pope John Paul II 18/05/1920 - 02/04/2005
2 comments:
very much agreed. As a former Catholic, but now practicing Orthodo Jew I certainly miss him and his presence. it will be interesting to see the directions that the new Church leadership takes
Yes, i spent some time in a Catholic school but have always been brought up Buddhist. Like you suggest, regardless of creed, he was certainly a respected figurehead for people and it will be interesting to see how the succession turns out.
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