[Sean&Shan]

I can't let the death of Pope John Paul II go by without at least mentioning it on this forum. He was such an amazing man, and our church was blessed to have a leader of such courage and empathy for so long in such a turbulent century.
I am sure many of you join me in prayer as the Cardinals gather and make such an important decision in the weeks to come. I can not imagine the strength, faith, and charisma needed in a leader to carry our church into this new milenium.
God Bless

[Wolfpack]

This wonderful man embodied all that is good in the world. He was truly in EVERY since a Man of God.

When I was 18 and in College in Italy, we went to one of his Sunday Addresses. He came through the crowd and just the reverence and air of his presence was amazing. I actually held a small boy next to me up so that he could see over the barrior. The Pope came and blessed us both, it was one of the most amazing days of my life. I am not Catholic, but the pure love of God and His children shown through this amazing man like a light. He was truly a beacon of light among the darkness in this world.

We as a family are in Prayer for the Church, and for the amazing Legacy of this Servant of God to continue to bless this world.

Becky

[Montraviatommyg]

I'm not Catholic but had respect for him, he survived through terrible times in Eastern Europe to become a great ambassador.

Philippa

[momofmykids]

I'm not Catholic either, but I've found my self thinking of the Pope almost non-stop for days. I've found myself crying on more than one occasion since yesterday. I feel such a sense of loss. The world lost and Heaven gained an extraordinary man yesterday.

MSNBC has been showing several shows about his life and it's been amazing watching them. He did so much for so many. One of the most amazing things I've seen is when he listened to a man who had no arms play the guitar with his feet and sing. The Pope "rushed" the stage to share his feelings with this and bless this young man.

My deepest sympathy to all of my Catholic friends on this board, may God bless you with peace.

Jill

[tybeemarie]

I am Catholic, and I am also sad about the pope's death. I was surprised by how sad I felt, since I am a liberal Catholic and disagree with many of the pope's positions on things. But, I never doubted his sincerity, his devotion to the Church and to our Blessed Mother (that is something the pope and I COULD agree on), his commitment to the poor, his rock solid belief in the sanctity of human life. He was truly a deeply spiritual man. He was a countercultural man. His critique of America's consumerism and violence and decadence was dead on. You don't often hear people denounce a life devoted to pleasure these days, but he reminded us that there are deeper, more meaningful aspects to human existence. He was our father, and now he's not here on earth. I do believe implicitly in the communion of saints, and I have no doubt whatsoever that his care for us is very active and his prayerful intercession for us is going on at this very moment. He was a good man. He really was. Rest in peace, dear Pope.

[Sean&Shan]

I agree with you about being surprised by my own grief. Initially, I wasn't "shocked" by the announcement of his death, we all knew it was coming. But now that it has settled in, and with the constant media attention doing a retrospective of his remarkable life and great works, I find that I am really sad.
I am also concerned with who will be able to fill this enormous role. Whether you agreed or disagreed with his politics, he was a remarkable man in his faith, leadership, and ability to touch millions.

[Overwhelmed!]

Thank you for starting this post. The death of Pope John Paul II, though not unexpected, is still quite sorrowful for me. He was an amazing man! I have one of his daily devotional prayer books from long ago and I still cherish the inspirational messages he wrote!

It will be interesting to see the process of selecting a new pope. I was too young to understand when Pope John Paul II was chosen 26 years ago. The next pope will have some very big shoes to fill! I pray the Church chooses wisely.

[FL_GirlByProxy]

I second that, thank you so much for starting this thread. I went searching for something like this tonight.

I was raised Catholic, and I remember when Pope John Paul II began his papacy. I was a young teen. What I remember most, is his devotion to children, his joy at greeting their young faces. You could just tell that he could see the promise in their eyes, that he knew how precious they were. This was evident even in his trip to Canada a few years ago at a youth celebration, even though he was noticably in declining health. He was truely Great.

(I am no longer Catholic, I left the Catholic church after some direct struggles with my beliefs and what I thought was right for my birthson. I am now Methodist. As I used to tell my dad, it's the same Jesus, and the same God.)

I don't mean to get off track. My main purpose posting is to offer prayers and good thoughts to all of you who are grieving the loss of one of your great leaders, Pope John Paul II. Peace to you, and comfort in the coming days. Fear not, he has set an incredible example for whoever will follow in his path.