Pope dies
Today Pope John Paul II died in Rome. I saw the Pope three times: once in Columbia, SC, in 1987 and twice during Easter Week in Rome in 1995. The occasions in Rome left the strongest feelings. They were both in St. Peter's amid thousands of worshippers. As he processed down the aisle a large gathering of young people from Poland cheered and called his name. He smiled, reached out to them and moved on. It was obvious how well he was loved. When he was shot in 1981 I told David Kern, a UPI reporter, that "God will take care of the Pope, I worry about Poland." Pope John Paul II will be remembered as one of the greatest men ever to serve as Pope.
#260 (05-21)
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