Pontiff R.I.P.

Tom McDonald wrote:
mikelist wrote:

(Response to thread title, not parent post)

I am a former catholic, actually I'm still a catholic kinda like
secular jews are jews (holidays, strong spirits, guilt without sex,
etc). Lots of things drove me away from the church, (I went to
catholic school, my grades and behavior kept me from being an altar
boy, thank you), but I think that JP2 was *everything* a pope can
possibly be. True that issues of importance remain, but he was only
one man, even as the catholic head honcho.

I wish him the best in his travels and hope that the next pope will be
as good as he was.

NOTICE: No neocon drivel was considered in the making of this post


Mike,

Thanks for getting this thread on track.

And now to get the thread off of sci.physics.


As an Episcopalian, Pope John Paul II was only another bishop to me.
However, he was a very powerful and important bishop, and he did much
good in his long service.

I disagreed with him in a number of areas, most especially about the
usual suspects (birth control, abortion, whether women can be ordained
to the priesthood and episcopate, whether priests can marry, the place
of homosexuals--not pedophiles--in the Church, etc.) However, I don't
think another pope would swing my way on these issues, and I can respect
those I disagree with.

As far as I know, his whole life was dedicated to freeing humanity
from oppression, poverty, intolerance and myriad other ills our flesh
has, sadly, become heir to. As a non-Italian, he brought fresh insights
and concerns to the RC church, and his travels helped make the
leadership of his church less provincial and more, can I say it, catholic.

I pray for Karol's soul to find rest and joy.