The Golden Light has Passed

Today, at 9:37pm, Rome time, that Soul that was Pope John Paul II, left this world he had served so well. Even tho, I am not a Catholic, this was a man who I came to admire immensely! He was a man of great compassion, who sought to heal all hurts and breaches between humankind. He traveled this world, even when he was ill, he has greeted people in over 120 languages, he spoke fluently 8 languages. Whenever & wherever he traveled throngs of 100,000 People turned out to see him, Catholics & non-Catholic, alike.

He was, like our own President Ronald Reagan, "the great communicator" as well as the "Shepard" of over 1 billion, 700,000 Catholics around the world. He embraced all religions and when he traveled to Israel, he visited a Mosque and a Synagogue, something no other Pope had ever done. Young people of all faiths liked and admired him. When on a visit to the USA, he told the crowds of young people, who were there, "The Pope...is your friend!" The crowd went wild.

He has suffered through many travails including the loss of his Mother when he was a very young child, loss of his brother, then at 22 yrs old he lost his Father. He lived in Poland, under Communism and years later as Pope was standing with the "solidarity" movement in Poland. He always spoke against tyrants & oppressors of humankind! In 1981 he escaped an assasins bullet. He lived with Parkinsons disease.

He exemplified all the attributes of Jesus and lived his life in total devotion to Him. His life should serve as an example of what a truly "good man" is. People in all faiths, saw the greatness, humbleness, goodness and mostly the Love this man had for all peoples. He always stood for "life" and the dignity of man. He was a most remarkable man, who lived his life courageously and faced death even more courageously. Even this past Wednesday he was brought to his window, wanting to speak to the crowds but was so very ill he could not even speak. He waved a feeble hand and made the sign of the cross, it was a supreme effort to do even this but his love of the people and wanting to greet them was his only thought. By the next day, he was in a grave condition!

No one knows who might fill his shoes and they are mighty big shoes to fill but the man from Poland named Karol Wojtyla, who became the 1st non-Italian Pope in 500 years will be a hard act to follow. He lived 84 years on this earth and influenced billions. Proof of this is how many people of other faiths felt the need to pray for this Pope, that his passing would be peaceful and with dignity. I think our prayers were answered and he has now passed on into History and into the arms of the Angels and into the Heart of God. "Well done, you good and faithful servant, enter now into your reward." The world was privileged to know and love this man and he will be missed by those within his church and those of us who are not Catholic. What greater tribute to this man...than this fact!