Saturday, April 02, 2005
Basilica Bells Toll for Pope's Passing
The bells at the Basilica of Saint Peter are tolling now, ringing loudly throughout the plaza where over 70,000 have gathered, to honor the death of Pope John Paul II. Together with St. Peter's, bells of the Catholic churches throughout Rome and the world toll now.
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55 comments:
May his soul rest in peace. Amen.
(Anyone wanting a MSN display pic that i did for the pope's demiss can request from me @
sploitz@yahoo.com)
This world could'nt have peace and harmony with out you Pope John PaulII
From Karol we should ALL learn to hate anyone is wrong, irrelevant of your "faith"
Thank you for your inspiration.
This world could'nt have peace and harmony with out you Pope John PaulII
It is really hard to have to see such a great man pass on. However we know that he if anybody was going to get to heaven when they passed on, it would be Pope John Paul II. May his good deeds and legacy keep going in our hearts, and may his spirit watch over the suffering world from the heavens.
Earlier in the day, reflecting on all the news coverage of his life, I was impressed by how many people held such great admiration and love for Pope John Paul II. There have been numerous moving tributes.
It confirms the fact that everyone deep down believes in truth, in goodness. Even non-Catholics and unbelievers respect and love this man because of what he represented in his actions: the love of God. The Catholic Church is often ridiculed, mocked, and impugned, and has recently been hit hard by scandals, but the Light in John Paul II's life shines through it all.
In contrast, imagine if a widely known drug dealer, prostitute, or porn star died. How would he or she be remembered? Would people say, "She gave joy and happiness to so many men"? "She helped improve the love life of hundreds and thousands of fans"? "He enabled people to take their mind off their troubles"?
No, there would be no such adulation, because deep down we all know their lives were ill spent. We can't help but praise that which is good. This is a testament to the "natural law" that God instilled in each of us.
I am not horribly grieved over the pope's passing. "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints" (Psalm 116:15). It is sad, but on the other hand, "to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Our pope is now in God's hands, and he is undoubtedly experiencing unspeakable joy.
We can all be thankful that he showed us how to live, how to suffer, and how to die.
God has called Karol Home. He was a Great man, and because he was a man, he was mortal. He was our gain and Heavens wish to have him with them! No one will ever come close to him in my life time! May the Holy Spirit guide the Cardinals in electing someone who can somehow be as good as Joh Paul II. God Bless you Karol, and please Pray for US!
All though I am not one gifted by words I shed my tears for the world has lost not only a Pope but good man a gentle spirit and a great teacher.
Someone whom truely tough by expamle. And offered hope to all who heard his words and found thier lifes lifted by his warmth and kindness to all whom he encountered
I am saddened but I know he is with the Father now. Bless his soul.
This is a sad moment in the church's time. Pope John Paul II was truely a man of vision and caring. He cared for children, the elderly and for families. I will truley miss him and pray that he is keeping watch over us.
In the words of Pope John Paul II, "Young people, do not be afraid to be saints."
Rest in Peace Holy Father. We will never forget you.
Brazil is very sad with John Paul's death.
The world has lost a very decent human being.
The world has been a better place with the guidence and love of Pope John Paul II. He was so much more than just the head of the Roman Catholic Church. John Paul II was a champion for human rights and truth. Regardless of your religious convictions one can not help but to admire such a great man.
May God Bless us all and help us through this time of mourning.
The Holy Father led over one billion faithful followers. His passing will shape the Catholic faith for years to come. His rule was incredible and certainly his passing is newsworthy. God Bless the Pope on this day of his passing. Iraq can wait.
Our prayers are with you, and your memories will forever be within us.
I am not Catholic but I feel such a great sense of loss today and sadness. He was a wonderful human being and still is.
Pope John Paul II had accomplished so many things and helped the Catholic Church take many steps forward in recent times.
May his soul rest in peace and I hope that he keeps watch over us while he is in Heaven. I can only hope the next Pope that is chosen will have the same caring and eloquent nature that John Paul II possessed.
Sweet Pope, Canada weeps for you. Thank you for all you've given us. Papa, pray for us.
...now I know how the apostles felt.
My heart truly breaks for the passing of Pope John Paul II at the same time I am filled with happiness that he is now free of disease and is with God.
I have distanced myself from the church over the last few years b/c I have disagreed with Church teachings. The last few days have reaffirmed my belief in the Catholic Church and while my ideals ARE still different than some teachings, I am filled with love, admiration and joy at having been a witness to Pope John Paul II's life and a witness to the history he has made. May the Angels in Heaven greet you warmly and with much love Karol!
God Bless us all.
His passing has come and may we rejoice in his eternal life with the Lord our God and in this time of morning that we are all strong and not weep for him. God Bless the Church and the Faithfull
My heart is heavy and sad with the loss of our Holy Father Pope John Paul II. He was an example of what a true Christian should be. His love and compassion for the entire world was truly a blessing to all. The gates of Heaven have truly opened for this wonderful and most blessed Pope. I love you and may God grant you eternal rest and may His perpetual light shine upon you always. Karen from Fairmont, WV
While many have cracked jokes (myself included, sadly) or complained of the pope's departure, I think it's time for all to take this maturely and affectionally. John Paul has done so much to mend ties and vanquish quarrels with those against the Catholic Church. He stood out in the face of the Church's history and apologized for wrong doings and has made every effort for peace. I think John Paul is somebody to always be remembered by all for all time and it was an honor for him to grace existence in its entirety.
It is truly a sad day for the world. He was a great religious leader and statesman. As a firefighter I remember seeing the firefighters from New York presenting him with the fire helmet of Father Judge. It was a great moment to witness. To see a man with such power and such faith accept the helmet of a firefighter, a mere priest, as a gift, and for him to show such gratitude and love for the firefighters present. He will be sadly missed. I know a lot of fire departments in the United States have already posted memorials to him. This one is beautiful. http://www.steeltonfire.com/pope1.html
The Pope has a special spot in every Filipino's heart. We will miss him.
God bless his journey to Heaven.
2:37 Eastern time...we lost one of the most magnificent people alive.
The pope was a really rad chief, really rad, I'm 8 years old.
What a good guy, he's got a sure ticket past the pearly gates. I bet when he gets there, him and good ol' peter will go fishing.
The world will remember this man. His holiness, his love of humanity, his defense of the word of God, his championing of life, his contributions are all inestimable.
Thank you, God, for the gift of this pope.
He is now not just a great man to pray for, but a great man to pray to.
John, Mary, and Sean
My mom wanted to write something about the pope, but she's to frail to move her fingers, so I'm typing this for her
" The pope reminded us what Catholicism is about. And he likes breakdancers, so that's pretty rad too."
Pope John Paul made everyone remember just what being a Catholic means. Either you are Cathoice or your not, he made no apology for his strict conservatism. While I admire him for that and think he was a very holy man, his hard line is the reason many catholics left the church.
To all those out there who lost their Pope, I send my condolences. I am not Catholic, but have had great respect for this man, what he has done, and his position.
I am touched by his death with dignity, and with the images I am seeing of those who are mourning him. But those who mourn him seem to have sadness, without regret. A peaceful passing, mixed with acceptance and appreciation. There does not seem to be a sense of wanting to hold on to the past, but an honoring of what service this man dedicated his life to. A moment in time standing still, giving honor and thanks and appreciation for his service, before looking on to the future.
He was a great leader, and served God well.
The news channels all have plenty to say, so I'll leave it at that.
My heart goes to all touched by this today, from his family to the Catholic church to those throughout the world.
Pope John Paul made everyone remember just what being a Catholic means. Either you are Cathoice or your not, he made no apology for his strict conservatism. While I admire him for that and think he was a very holy man, his hard line is the reason many catholics left the church.
I love you, Popeman.
Thanks for the comment, you are right we should put our differences aside. I apologize for calling you selfish. Today is just a really sad day- we just lost our pope.....sorry again...
How to unbelieve in life after death if John Paul II always believed in it?
God bless Him now.
John Paul II was destined to be the "Great Pope" of the Cold War era. As a Marrano Jew, I look forward to the election of a new Pope who will build upon the positive and hopefully irreversable directions John Paul II took the Roman Catholic Church in its quest to reconcile its historic relationship with the Jewish people. I pray: "May the Holy One of Israel, blessed be He, guide and direct the House of Cardinals in the election of their Pope. May this chosen Pope also be the Great Pope of Destiny for his time; the Pope who will bring merit to the memory of Pope John Paul II by following in his footsteps. May he have the will and strength and support among his Church, to continue down the path of reconciliation with all the House of Israel." Amen.
The Great Holy Man has left us. We are mourning his departure and enjoying his contribution to our human world. God have a mercy on John Paul II, your faithful son. People around the world will miss you, Karol Woytyla.
It takes such an effort to hate, and no effort to love each other.
We were all born knowing nothing other than to love.
Thank you for leading by example.
I'm not Catholic, but feel real sadness that a kind, caring man should be called to leave us in our times of grief and strife. I think Pope John Paul II was an inspiration to every well-intentioned person on this planet. His actions as a both an average man, and as a larger-than-life symbol of what religion means, speaks volumes about his influence to spread peace in our turmoiled world. Compassion, empathy and forgiveness, and peace for all mankind are words that describe his life. God has taken him home where he belongs. May I be as blessed and meet him there.
I must confess,having never been a practing catholic,that on the day of his passing,I was very saddened,as I watched the many stories about this wonderful and caring man,I could only wonder how one person could have so much love in his heart as to forgive all of his enemies,Love,truly conquers all.Mark
In his wonderment, he always emerged from the tide that bore him on,
As if to say to everything around him:
“Stop! -- in me you find your haven,”
“in me you find the place of your encounter
with the Eternal Word” --
“stop, all this passing has sense”
“has sense . . . has sense . . . has sense!”
--Pope John Paul II
the last message i wrote didnt come out clear....it says R I P .........R.I.P. Pope John Paul II
may he rest in peace...
may he rest in peace...
I am 14 and I wish i had the chance to meet Pope John Paul II, he has truly taught me that one person can make a huge difference in a big tumultous world. R.I.P Pope John Paul II
Papa Karol,
God bless you and welcome you home to Paradise. Thank you for leading me back to my faith, and for being my teacher in all things, especially the dignity and sanctity of every human life, the ineffable holiness of redemptive suffering, and the power of forgiveness. I love you and miss you and will always keep you in my heart and prayers.
I will never be the same. My dream was always to meet him.
Now I have to wait and pray that I live a life good enough to join him in Heaven.
I feel a special gratitude toward JP II. Although I was a cradle Catholic, who had 16 years of Catholic education, I was adrift on the cultural tide by the time I graduated from college. A friend and I backpacked through Europe in the summer of 1980 and felt an obligation to stop in Rome; mainly to tell our mothers that we tried to see the Pope.
Thanks to a friendly Nun, Sr. Donata, who was actually knitting on the steps of St. Peter that day, we obtained tickets for the Wed. audience and found ourselves shaking hands with the Pope as he passed through the crowd! The energy and faithful witness of love we experienced was a turning point in my faith. Thank you Pope John Paul for reaching out to the youth. May we live up to your hope in us!
some may say that we've become the orphans but it is not true. Our Holy Father will always look after us but this time from Heaven... I love you so much...
does anyone know what the Pope's last message to the people of St. Peter's square was? Something about.."I have called unto you and you have come..." please post it or link to where I can find it.
thanks
the pope's final comment was dedicated to the youth which gatherd outside his window in the square. he wanted to thank them for being there for him and praying for him during his last moments.
i am truly going to miss this great pope. he was the only pope i have known and i have great love and respect for him. i will always keep him in my prayers.
The world won't be the same without you dear Pope! But it's time for you to meet with our Lord! You deserve the joy of being by his side. We'll always remember you because you will always be in our hearts. And even if now you're gone, when we think of you and all the goodness you brought to this world, we'll be able to smile. So long dear Pope!
John Paul ll was the servant of the grand design; an especially chosen apostle, the likes of which we may never see again.
May he rest peacefully forever.
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