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Said this earlier:

Passing of Greatness
By IvanGroznii on Apr 02, 2005 - 04:55 PM
http://www.rightgoths.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=38

On a bright Sunday afternoon in November 1999, I was standing in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. My family and I had just attended Sunday Mass, my feet were sore as it had been standing room only, and the scent of incense was lingering as it wafted out of the immense cathedral.

As I walked through the crowds of believers, some holding flags and signs indicating their country of origin, my father tapped me on the shoulder and pointed at a building in the distance. I could see from my vantage point that a window had opened, and there stood a small figure in white. It was the Holy Father.

I felt a lump in my throat, a feeling that one has been called to penance and prayer, and an overwhelming sense that God is not just a distant entity, but rather, is with us and among us. Logic, reason, and worldly wise cynicism all were abandoned: it was a brief moment of pure faith. The Holy Father then waved to the crowd, spoke a few words of blessing which boomed out to the throng through a loudspeaker, waved again, and then withdrew.

I never forgot that moment, and have been thankful for the Holy Father’s presence in the world. While I am not a particularly good Catholic, it was always good to have an example of faith, and to be reminded of God’s presence. The Holy Father reminded me that while I am a sinner, there was always the chance, and the encouragement to do better.

Now the Holy Father is dying. Moments tick by, counting out the portions by which his life ebbs away. News cameras are focused on that window from which he spoke in 1999, this time awaiting the light to go out. It will be a signal that his great spirit has gone to eternal rest and reward. Yet amidst the media coverage and the hype and the spin and the tributes, it must be remembered that greatness like his is fleeting, and that we should cherish it as the special gift it is.

It is clear that the Holy Father stands tall among his peers, as great popes are rare popes. Sometimes popes can be mediocre, other times, downright diabolical: for example, Pope Alexander VI was a member of the Borgia family, father of the infamous Lucretia, and notorious for his mistresses and poisoning his rivals. Other examples are even worse: according to legend, the debauched Pope John XII toasted the devil at the high altar.

However this Pope has not only been consistent in his affirmation of the value of human life and traditional Catholic values, he can, unlike his peers, take credit for having played a huge role in liberating millions. His visit to his native Poland after becoming Pope, reaffirmed for the Catholic peoples of Eastern Europe that there was a greater, grander alternative to the slavish doctrines of Marxism and Leninism. With that faith in hand, Poland was able to gather its strength to throw off Communism. That proved to be sufficient inspiration for the other nations in the Communist bloc to also throw off their Soviet masters.

In addition, the Holy Father has overseen a vast expansion of his flock, particularly in the Third World. For example, the Catholic Church in Nigeria has been gaining in strength, in spite of the pressures it faces from the Islamic community.

Furthermore, the Holy Father has preached reconciliation with other faiths, and relations between the Church and the Protestant and Jewish faiths have greatly improved.

While there have been failings, such as dealing with the paedophile scandals in the Church, overall, the Church is broader, stronger and operating in a freer world thanks to the presence of the Holy Father. Perhaps this explains his enduring appeal, and why the faithful, both young and old, are praying for him in droves on the streets of Rome and Krakow, and in churches throughout the world. Or perhaps in addition to his achievements, this deep affection for him lies in his modesty, his charisma, his humour and his obvious faith.

Whatever the reason, as twilight enters the life of John Paul II, and the Father of us all calls him home, it is important to recognise that he was special. His time on this earth, on a cosmic scale, has been as fleeting as one of his appearances at the window with a call to embrace God, faith and prayer. Yet we are better for it, should be grateful for it, and hope that as he shuts his eyes for the last time, that what he built will endure.

Regards, Ivan