The passing of Pope John Paul II is a major event because we have all lost one of the most remarkable leaders of our time. I am not a papist and do not believe that any man on earth should be called “the head of the church,” which is the rightful place of Christ alone. However, I do not doubt that John Paul II was a man of God that all Christians should be thankful for and should rightly mourn. It was not his title, but his character that caused him to transcend the Roman Catholic Church and become a leader who blessed and advanced the whole church, and indeed the cause of Christianity itself. He was one of the greatest leaders of our time, and will be sorely missed.

I have said for years that John Paul II prophetically pulled the string that began the unraveling of Communism. He stood for freedom and human dignity with a resolve like few others. He also stood for life without compromise, against the atrocity of abortion. Also, in one of his very last statements he called on America to count as dear the life of Terri Schiavo.

John Paul II also took the remarkable and unprecedented step of apologizing for the Catholic Church’s persecution of Protestants and Jews, as well as its historic role in oppressing other people groups. This was done with unquestioned sincerity as it could have caused major political and legal problems for the church, but he did it because it was true and the right thing to do. Instead of opening the door to problems, this raised the world’s esteem for and trust in John Paul II, the Catholic Church, and indeed even Christianity itself.

Pope John Paul loved the Holy Spirit, and in an article which we printed in our Morning Star Journal (Volume 10, Number 4) he encouraged all Catholics to seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It was during his tenure that more than 100 million Catholics became Charismatics and were born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit. Pope John Paul II clung to the cross and tried to pray without ceasing.

I have been accused of being a papist and of being anti-Catholic. I am neither. I have fundamental problems with some Catholic doctrines, which I see as being in clear and basic conflict with Scriptures, but this is because I am for my Catholic brothers and sisters, not against them. I have Catholic friends whose intimacy with Christ I envy. I do not hesitate to disagree with them on certain doctrines and practices, but I also love them dearly and have been richly blessed by their friendship and faith in the Lord. I loved and admired Pope John Paul II. He was one of the greatest men of God of our time.

If you feel the same way, consider honoring him by reaching across some barriers the way that he did. Send condolences to the Catholic Churches in your area for the loss of their shepherd, while expressing appreciation for all that he did for the whole church, and indeed the world.