Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)

I'm in no way Catholic, but I still feel the need to honor a man who stood as a spiritual symbol for over one billion people. I'll never know the connection they felt, but certain elements in his life nonetheless fill me with awe. Snippets from the headlines inform me that most of his family was killed when he was young; apparently he was influential in the fall of Communism; during World War II he defied Hitler and outlived the Nazi reign of terror.

He was the first non-Italian pope selected in over 500 years. His reign as pope was the 3rd longest in the history of the papacy. For many people (myself included) he was the only pope they'd ever known. His force is undeniable, even to the non-Catholic and non-Christian.

Castro, not exactly a saint, declared a three-day period of mourning in Cuba upon hearing the news. Surely he did this for political reasons, but it's remarkable that even Castro recognizes how far the pope's reach was, even in death. Al-Jazeera even offered a short tribute on air- the same station that shows individuals cheering after the Towers were hit and serves as a mouthpiece for Osama bin Laden. China offered their condolences and mentioned that they hoped to build a relationship with the next pontiff.

It says something intensely profound when a man is able to bridge such gaps. There was a quality in him that everyone aspired to have, regardless of creed or color or background. Their was goodness in him, goodness recognized and heralded by all religions the world over. It is fitting that the world stop and take notice for a minute, for people like him are few and far between.

CNN has a great website that details his life. If you have some free time, give it a look.