Elegy

John Paul II, baptized Karol Wojtyla, the Bishop of Rome, Metropolitan of Rome, Primate of Italy, Patriarch of the Latin Church, and Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Catholic Church, died 9:37 p.m. Roman time Saturday, April 2.

The peoples' pope will be missed, and made many contributions to Christ's Church. He wrote powerful encyclicals on the Culture of Life, was one of four leaders responsible for the Soviet Empire's defeat, made generous overtures to our separated Eastern brethren, spread the Faith in the Third World, began the stabilization of the GIRM, and led the papacy into the Media Age.

While too early to assign the honorific "the Great," his heroic personal sanctity was almost beyond human reproach and sainthood proceeding should being with all due haste.

Godspeed, Il Papa!