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What do you think will be the greatest legacy of this pope?

We, Poles really love him because he is our pope. A month ago I submitted the article about the pope to the Polish-American Journal. I hope that they would let me to post short fragments of the article here on my website.

He was the first pope who really wanted to see his people all over the world. He made a big effort to be able to visit Catholics and non-Catholic wherever it was only possible!

Now... I heard the voices that the next pope need to be more liberal with abortion.

If this would be the case - this will not be my church anymore.

[color:"purple"]he will be considered one of the most influential popes of all time. personally, i would consider him one of the top 10. being more specific, when it comes to spirituality & faith, he's definitely in the top 5.

no one (religious or otherwise) has the right to tell another person what to do with their body. this applies to the issues of artificial extension of life that have been in the news lately, as well as abortion.

when it comes to the abortion issue...how any person can demand a rape victim to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term is beyond me. [/color]

Joclyn,

one thing for sure - the baby born or unborn... is not just the part of the body like liver or a finger <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I am really against this terminology

we do not need to talk about rape cases only - how many legitimate children or consciously concepted babies are aborted? Why?

As a person, I feel very sorry for him, that he has had to suffer with bad health for so very long. However, as Pope - I feel nothing. I'm not Catholic, and I generally do not respect religion at all, so he does not have respect from me for that. In addition, I am so totally against his political and "moral" practices, so again, he will get no respect from me for that.

As a human being, though, I hope he will find and end to his suffering. He has been in pain for too long.

Jaga this was a pope that had a special place for young people and yet he was bridge for all humankind. Let us be glad that we had him for a little while, let us be sad that soon he will be gone. Llora, llora mi corazon. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

joclyn and Jaga. An Eagle egg would taste good for morning breakfast and Whales could feed a lot of hungary people. A Tree Toad in some jungle is less important than humanity. To compare the essence of innocence to a life of crime is not logical. If you really want to avoid SDT's or unwanted pregnancy, try abstanance: it works every time. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Bob,

llora mi corazon tambien

I had to write something new about the pope since so many people were searching the site for information about the pope today.

Please, check this article guys:

John Paul�s II - Polish Pope's Legacy
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art30363.asp

Bob,

thanks for all the links. I was today 12 hours at work so I am sorry that I did not respond yet to your e-mails

thanks a lot!!

Pope`s greatest legacy is his contribution to the rise of Solidarity movement in 1980 and eventually to the collapse of communism first in Poland and then, like dominoes, in all neighbouring countries. When Karol Wojtyla became the pope in 1978, his first decision was to visit Poland. It happened in 1979, I was 11 years old then. I still remember these incredible crowds of people everywhere in Krakow, on Sunday about 2 million people gathered on B&#322;onia field in Krakow to hear Pope. It was so so unbelievable. It was just after the visit that people started to feel anxious about their life, they knew something had to change. And it changed, according to Pope`s prayers during his first visit. He said "I`m praying so that the Holy Spirit will come down and renew the land. THIS LAND." And the Polish land was indeed renewed by Solidarity movement which came into being a year after the visit.

This influence is what I will remember Pope John Paul II for. Although I often disagreed with the decisions he made for the Church, there is no doubt he was a brave man, as well as charismatic and well loved. He had the courage of his convictions.

Jaga, I posted this article in another thread, but it is relevant to the question you ask here.

http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=347522005