"How many lives does the pope have?" asked the late Pope John Paul II at the headquarters of the Organization of American States in Washington during his visit to America in October 1979. He was responding to a crowd's eager chants of "Viva," as in "Viva il Papa!" ("Long live the pope!"), wishing him a long and healthy life.
He would certainly see one.
Pope John Paul II, born Karol Joseph Wojtyla, died Saturday at his Vatican home. He was 84 years old.
To many followers, he was more than a pope: He was, in fact, the "People's Pope." But, he wore many more titles of responsibility than his white robe would lead us to believe.
He was a politician, a man who arguably helped tear down the wall of communism. He was a pastor, a priest and a father to more than 1 billion Catholics worldwide. In his 26-year papacy, he lead the way in song, in psalm, in lecture and in truth -- he was the courageous leader for a faith through its good times and its bad. He was idolized by religious youth and praised by their elders.
He was, and remains still, a legend -- one who left a legacy some consider worthy of sainthood.
In all of these words and flooding rivers of tears and sympathy, we see a man standing in the light. A light not so much appointed by a higher power, but a light illuminated by the billions worldwide that looked to John Paul II for guidance in times of trouble.
When John Paul II spoke, the world listened.
Aside from religious preference and affiliation, and beneath the hundreds of years of tensions between countries, faiths and followers, it's an undeniable fact that many people respected the words of John Paul II.
If not for his religious faith, for his common sense and humor -- John Paul II was loved by all to whom he spoke or reached out. No matter where he went, crowds silenced to hear him.
He preached on issues relating not only to the Roman Catholic faith, but to those that affected the world, as well. He dealt with an arsenal of societal and political issues, from weapon disarmament to child abuse scandals within his own Church.
He was an original. From his efforts to reach the world's youth to his visits to more than 120 nations (the most in any papacy), he was a figure for the ages.
As the echoes of "Viva il Papa" linger in the towns, cities and villages where he once stood, we recognize Pope John Paul II for the effect he had not on the Church, but on our culture. A culture that, despite religious and political differences, gave a religious leader an unprecedented amount of attention whenever he spoke.
Although John Paul II is dead, his values continue to live on.
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