Pope John Paul II

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a Protestant, and that I disagree with many of the traditional beliefs of the Catholic faith.

That being said, I have nothing but respect for the very recently deceased Pope John Paul II. Just simply comparing him to many former popes, he rises above the rest simply for some of the things he did not do, but he was able to accomplish much in his life. The pope had an unshakeable faith, and a strong sense of humanitarianism. Along with the late President Ronald Reagan, he battled the growing tyranny of Communism in Eastern Europe. He fought through adversity, including surviving a gunshot wound in 1981. He would ask and pray for peace, but never demand it. And every story I ever heard of Pope John Paul II portrayed him as humble, but strong.

His fate now can only be determined by God, but his impact on the world was rarely matched. With any luck, the Catolic Church can select a new pope that has half the faith, leadership abilities, and compassion that Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II's birth name) had.