I know you're a good person, AD, and I respect Catholics like you. Please bear with us Protestants here. The concept of pope is one many of us likely will never agree with, because, to cut to the chase and put it in simplest terms possible, Catholics and Protestants come from different belief systems.
While I don't consider John Paul II "my" pope, I recognize he was *the* pope, a title which carries deep meaning for folks all over the globe. And while I consider people like those I see in church every Sunday as being on an equal level with the pope in terms of relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ, I recognize many other people looked towards John Paul II as the literal and/or symbolic leader of Christendom.
So it doesn't have to be a bad thing to disagree over this, as long as we're willing to put aside personal pride.
I certainly had no intention of entering a full-blown theological debate when I first posted.
I respect all Christians of good-will, I merely point out that I regard the Pope as Christ's representative on earth, but a human being all the same. I do not expect His Holiness to rise from the dead anytime soon. Why would he? He is already with his Lord.
I fundamentally disagree with your statement that we "come from" different belief systems. I am a protestant - Episcoplian to be exact - "Catholic lite" as my RC friends refer to it. My children are being raised Catholic, as their mother is Catholic. So, I have explored this issue at depth for many, many years.
We do not come from different belief systems. There is only one relevant belief in this entire debate and that is the central belief that Christ is the Son of God, our Lord and Savior. This commonality is the core belief that unites all Christians, of whatever color, shape, size, etc.
What has divided us is not a difference in "belief," but a difference in dogma and liturgy. Liturgically, Episcopalians, or Anglican Catholics, are very similar to Roman Catholics - however, evolving dogma, influenced by politics and practice, over centuries of principled religious leadership in some instances and outright contortion in others to serve our human interests, not God's interests, has dictated a difference in approach (amongst Protestants themselves and then between Protestants generally and Catholics) concerning the "Church."
In other words, our divisions are of our creation, not God's creation. We choose to rationalize our often times irrational distinctions under the auspice that there is a difference in belief - borrowing a word from my father, that's poppycock.
If and when, we as Protestants and Catholics recognize that the core belief is the same and that our respective "spin" is what divides us, then there is real hope for Christian unity and real hope to do God's work here on Earth.
Protestants need to understand that the papacy is not the anti-Christ; it is not a seed of power devoid of connection to Jesus, but is the centuries old, traditional communicator of Christendom and Christian morals, ethic, etc. to the world. Protestants can learn a lot from Catholics about constant, unceasing devotion and faith.
Catholics need to understand that people yearn for a personal relationship with Christ, not a relationship with a Church. Protestantism grew from this innate desire to know God, not through the prism of a church often controlled by politics and division, but through a direct connection and understanding of how Christ impacts our daily lives. Catholics can learn a lot from Protestants about the sense of community and emotion that comes from having a personal relationship with Christ.
At this time of mourning, let's put down the arrows, let's downplay the division of our own creation and let's celebrate a life dedicated to Christ, no matter what the color, stripe or flavor.