Summary
EACH morning, when his health allowed him, Pope John Paul II would wake to watch the dawn. "I like to watch the sun rise," he told friends. This week, as night prepared to envelop him and his 26- year pontificate, it was worth recalling that he saw his role, like that of the sun, as "a witness to hope".
On 16 October 1979 when, at the age of 58, he stepped on to the balcony of St Peter's Square dressed in the white papal robes and wearing the fisherman's ring, the first words he uttered were: "Be not afraid". The message he has preached across 100 countries and to billions of people has been one of love and hope, even if, on occasion, it felt like the hectoring of an impatient father.See the full content of this document
Extract
Tireless Thinker Who Offered World's Masses Love and Hope
In the years to come his legacy will be dissected. Yet today, it is important to remember that he believes his mission is for the good of all mankind, not just the planet's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics.
When previous cardinals were elected as pope, some have been deeply shaken while others have wept te...See the full content of this document
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