Pope John Paul II

When I was a kid, I used to think a lot about what I would do to make the world a better place to live in. I would dream of a world with no war where people cared for humanity.
I grew up to realize there were people who pursued this dream. I find pope John Paul II to be one of those. Although I don't approve of all his doctrinaire religious views, he stands for much of what I would personally describe as a true human being. A spiritual leader to the Catholic, his good will stretches wider than the scope of religion.
The youngest pope in modern history and the first non-Italian pope after 455 years, he preached love and friendship. He lived a life close to that of an ordinary person. As a pope he visited over 100 countries and met with political and religious leaders with a much broader view than any pontiff before him.
"He opposed the war in Iraq and was the first Pope to visit a mosque. He has also made conciliatory gestures towards the Jewish faith and tried to heal the 1,000-year-old rift with the Christian Orthodox churches."
And now his followers gather in St. Peter's square, looking up at his window and praying for him in whatever language their God speaks. He prayed for us all, so let us pray for him ... may he rest in peace ...