Pope John Paul the Great

As usual, I'm a day late and a dollar short. Yesterday was the anniversary of Pope John Paul the Great's death.

There's a passable article from MSNBC on the case for his cannoniztion here.

If you're curious, this is the process of inquiring into the cause of saint.

Also, here are few photo galleries that fittingly celebrate his life: PopeJohnPaul.com, US Bishop's Conference, PhillyBurbs.com.

Of his greatness there can be no question. As pope he had a profound impact on world affairs even though the church's influence was often perceived as waning. His most widely acknowledged political impact is that he was a prinicipal force in the downfall of communism in Eastern Europe. But under his guidance the Chruch continued to exercise its influence world wide, notably in Latin America and at the World Popluation Conference in Cairo in 1994.

Of course as the Holy Father, he was a tremendous spiritual leader as well. His firm defence of sound doctrine against forces that have tried to dismantle the church's teaching on morality and basic theological precepts was literally a light in the darkness. I believe that this is also the reason he has won the respect of many leading Evangelical Christians.

Although I can't claim to be an expert in theology, his Theology of the Body (more) is an excellent explanation of the Church's teaching on sexual morality.

I can't wait to learn more, I've just started reading his biograpy, Witness to Hope. (I'm on page 27, only 859 more to go.)