The Death of Pope John Paul II

A nice reflection, by John O'Herron:

“He was as alone as a man can be,” the Polish journalist Jerzy Turowicz remarked of John Paul II at the moment of his election. At his death on April 2, 2005, between the thousands packed into St. Peter’s Square, and the group of doctors, nuns, priests, and bishops in his bedroom, John Paul ended his papacy as far from alone as one can be. While this certainly brought him comfort–he had chosen to stay in his room rather than die in the hospital–it also brought comfort, joy, and faith to those of us in the piazza. . . .