Pope John II Dies @ 84: How ‘Bout an Update?

I know, I know, it’s been a long time. I’ve actually written in my personal journal a few times since the last entry. I think I’ll post them here. Anyway, I really DO want to start writing in this at least twice a week. Everyday just isn’t feasible, life is busy, crazy, hectic and now, there’s LOTS of news to share!

First and foremost, the state of the world has changed and the entire globe mourns the passing of Pope John II today, April 2, 2005 at 9:37pm (Vactican Time) at age 84.

I am not Catholic and in no way do I mean to impress my religious or spiritual views on the poeple of this board, however, I feel that no matter what religion you are or what spiritual path you have chosen to follow, none of us can deny the solemn passing of Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II died today, April 2, 2005, at 9:37pm (Vatican time) at 84 years old. Born May 18th, 1920, he lived a long and tremendous life filled with love, forgiveness, compassion and hope. He was a major figure of faith and Catholicism and was known for trying to bridge the gap between Muslims, Jews and Christians worldwide. Although he remained quite conservative throughout his popacy, he was still a beloved figure of faith worldwide. Agree or disagree with him, and the faith he led, it is still a sad day for the world. Although another pope will undoubtedly be named, Pope John Paul II was quite the "people's pope." He was the most media worthy Pope having made 100 trips around the world to 137 countries. He had survived great trauma while growing up in Poland. His mother died when he was nine years old, then his brother at twelve years old and even survived the Nazi regeeme that occupied Poland at one time. An incredible man, a survivor, a giver of hope and love. Whatever your religion, or chosen path of faith, let us all remember this man in our hearts and our prayers. God Bless Pope John Paul II, may he rest in peace and rest in God's hands secure in the knowledge that he had affected millions and millions of people worldwide in so many ways. And, God Bless us all.
Peace Be With You,
-SL

***From msn.com: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3305285/?GT1=6428VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II died Saturday after a prolonged illness, the Vatican announced to the world. He was 84 and had led the Roman Catholic church for 26 years — the longest term of any modern pope. The pontiff died in his Vatican chambers after his health quickly deteriorated in recent weeks. Before the pope's death, thousands of pilgrims had gathered on St. Peter’s Square to stand vigil, many tearfully gazing up at his third-floor window. The faithful around the world joined them in prayer.'Placid and serene' before deathVatican Cardinal Achille Silvestrini visited John Paul Saturday morning, accompanied by another cardinal, Jean-Louis Tauran.“I found him relaxed, placid, serene. He was in his bed. He was breathing without labor. He looked like he lost weight,” Silvestrini said.He said the when he and Tauran came into the room, the pope seemed to recognize them.“The pope showed with a vibration of his face that he understood, indicating with a movement of his eyes. He showed he was reacting,” he added.Around the world, people of different faiths had joined in prayer for John Paul.“Catholics, fellow Christians, ... will be praying for him at this time as he comes toward the end of his extraordinary and wonderful life,” said Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the archbishop of Westminster and one of the most senior Catholic clerics in Britain, speaking to reporters outside London’s Westminster Cathedral.'Man of peace'In France, Muslim leader Dalil Boubakeur said Muslims had been praying for the pope, whom he described as a “man of peace” whose stature was a determining factor for change in the world.In the pope’s home country, Poles gathered at churches as word spread Friday morning of his deteriorating condition.“I want him to hold on but it is all in God’s hands now,” said 64-year-old Elzbieta Galuszko at the church where the pope was baptized in Wadowice, southern Poland. “We can only pray for him so he can pull through these difficult moments.”The pope received the sacrament for the sick and dying on Thursday evening. Formerly called the last rites, the sacrament is often misunderstood as signaling imminent death. It is performed both for patients at the point of death and for those who are very sick — and it may be repeated. Hospitalized twice last month following two breathing crises, and fitted with a breathing tube and a feeding tube, John Paul had become a picture of suffering. His 26-year papacy was marked by its call to value the aged and to respect the sick, subjects the pope turned to as he also battled Parkinson’s disease and crippling knee and hip ailments. The Associated Press contributed to this report.