Posted by messadivoce on April 9, 2005, at 1:32:09
In reply to Of course » Phillipa, posted by rayww on April 8, 2005, at 21:42:46
I say these things because of his great faith, not just because he was a great man. I am not Catholic, but as a protestant I can appreciate how close our beliefs and values are. I admired the Pope because he held fast to his values on the santity of human life, the sanctification of marriage and his refusal to make the church "more relavant" in the 21st century. Not that I agreed with all the tenants of the Catholic church, but I do admire his steadfastness on them. To be so devoted to one's faith in the face of confict is to be admired.
I read an article in the NY Times that stated that his funeral was the largest coming together of leaders of different faiths in history. John Paul would have liked that. That was what he strove for in his life--acceptance and love of the PERSON.
Finally, I was touched to see that he was to be bured in just a plain wooden box. That is such an act of humility for someone who had the stature he had. I don't think he ever forgot that he was mortal and weak like any other human being, and I couldn't help but remember the passage of scripture that states, "dust to dust."
poster:messadivoce
thread:480264
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20050312/msgs/481916.html