May He Rest In Peace: God-speed John Paul II
At 12:37 p.m. Arizona Time, Pope John Paul II, passed to his eternal reward. Catholics and non-Catholics alike will mourn this man's death because of how profoundly he touched the world in his 84 years of life.
When he became pope, he was faced with an seemingly insurmountable task of attemtpting to bring Catholics back to the Church after the split over the changes that Vatican II had hastened. And he did exactly that. He wasted no time in doing so, including emphasizing that the future of the Church rested on the shoulders of the young. No matter where he went, the kids he saw brought him great joy and energy. He knew that if they could be shown what the Church really meant that they would remain faithful, and forge ahead.
Even during the constantly exploding pedophile priest cases did not slow Pope John Paul II down. When they reached their apex, he ordered all the Catholic bishops from Americ to Rome for a conference, and made it plainly clear that this sort of behavior was not acceptable, and that no member of the clergy would be given quarter should it be proven they had anything to do with such actions. Those that harmed children deserved little mercy from the Church. It sounds hypocritical to some, but he was right. And this was not distancing themselves from the scandal. It was holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
And even though the man weakened with age--including fighting a losing battle with Parkinson's disease late in his life--he never wavered from his faith, or his job. He knew that the majority of Catholics looked to him to lead the Church; emphasized even more with the Terri Schiavo case. Despite his own failing health, he still stood firm in the protection of the innocent, like Terri, and emphasized that life should be the goal when it comes to protecting them.
Did I have gripes about the Pope? Sure. Who wouldn't. We, as humans, are never pleased completely. If that were so, this would be such a boring world because we'd all see eye-to-eye. God knew this, and that is why, in my humble opinion, he sent the Catholic faithful Pope John Paul II. He is the greatest pope of the 20th Century, and perhaps among the top five best ever. Pope John Paul II spoke his mind when it came to freedom and life. And even in his waning years, he was unwavering in the cause of both.
Above all, Pope John Paul II will be sorely missed. Even by a non-devout Catholic like myself that hasn't seen the inside of a Church--save this past Christmas--in over ten years. God rest your soul, child of God, and may you rest in peace eternally in the loving arms of God.
Publius II
At 12:37 p.m. Arizona Time, Pope John Paul II, passed to his eternal reward. Catholics and non-Catholics alike will mourn this man's death because of how profoundly he touched the world in his 84 years of life.
When he became pope, he was faced with an seemingly insurmountable task of attemtpting to bring Catholics back to the Church after the split over the changes that Vatican II had hastened. And he did exactly that. He wasted no time in doing so, including emphasizing that the future of the Church rested on the shoulders of the young. No matter where he went, the kids he saw brought him great joy and energy. He knew that if they could be shown what the Church really meant that they would remain faithful, and forge ahead.
Even during the constantly exploding pedophile priest cases did not slow Pope John Paul II down. When they reached their apex, he ordered all the Catholic bishops from Americ to Rome for a conference, and made it plainly clear that this sort of behavior was not acceptable, and that no member of the clergy would be given quarter should it be proven they had anything to do with such actions. Those that harmed children deserved little mercy from the Church. It sounds hypocritical to some, but he was right. And this was not distancing themselves from the scandal. It was holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
And even though the man weakened with age--including fighting a losing battle with Parkinson's disease late in his life--he never wavered from his faith, or his job. He knew that the majority of Catholics looked to him to lead the Church; emphasized even more with the Terri Schiavo case. Despite his own failing health, he still stood firm in the protection of the innocent, like Terri, and emphasized that life should be the goal when it comes to protecting them.
Did I have gripes about the Pope? Sure. Who wouldn't. We, as humans, are never pleased completely. If that were so, this would be such a boring world because we'd all see eye-to-eye. God knew this, and that is why, in my humble opinion, he sent the Catholic faithful Pope John Paul II. He is the greatest pope of the 20th Century, and perhaps among the top five best ever. Pope John Paul II spoke his mind when it came to freedom and life. And even in his waning years, he was unwavering in the cause of both.
Above all, Pope John Paul II will be sorely missed. Even by a non-devout Catholic like myself that hasn't seen the inside of a Church--save this past Christmas--in over ten years. God rest your soul, child of God, and may you rest in peace eternally in the loving arms of God.
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 4:40 PM
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