Pope John Paul Ii

Like millions of people across the globe, I had the privilege of witnessing the charisma of Pope John Paul II in action. I covered some of his international travels and attended at least half a dozen of his gigantic public events. I, too, came away moved by his magnetism and unexpectedly charmed by his sense of humor. That's why the words I heard only days after one of those events all but knocked the air out of me. I was on Pope duty when a powerful earthquake struck Colombia.

Millions of pilgrims from across Europe lined up to pay respects at the bier of Pope John Paul II. Britain postponed a royal wedding. Europe's television coverage was nonstop, and its major newspapers ran headlines proclaiming John Paul II "The Last Giant. " The fervent outpouring surprised many on a continent that, during the Pope's 26-year pontificate, seemingly has moved away not only from the Roman Catholic Church but from organized religion in general. "It's almost as if his religion was irrelevant to his popularity," said Franco Ferrarotti, chair of the University of Rome's sociology department and a well-known cultural commentator.

People looking for mementos of Pope John Paul II have been thronging area religious-supply stores and online sites. EBay had more than 12,000 Pope John Paul II items listed for auction or sale earlier this week, including "collectible bobble-head" dolls in the $10-$20 range and a piece of toasted bread that "bears a miraculous image of the Pope" with a starting bid of $930. Most of the papal products available online and in stores, however, are more traditional, such as copies of books by and about the Pope, signed pictures of John Paul II, and videos on the Pope's life and message.

In the Internet Age, it had to be. Under weighty tradition, only a select group of Catholic cardinals chooses a new pope, and the proceeding is top secret. But, thanks to a Philadelphia lawyer and the illusory democratic dynamics of cyberspace, just plain folk can now have a fantastical go at selecting the next bishop of Rome. Just go to www.electapope.com. The Web site is the brainchild of Patricia M. Dugan, an expert in civil and canonical law and a longtime pope-watcher.

Before an immense crowd of the powerful and the humble, amid cheers, laughter, tears, and shouts of "Saint," the Roman Catholic Church said a final goodbye to Pope John Paul II yesterday in a majestic 2 1/2-hour funeral Mass broadcast to nearly every corner of the world. The ceremony, a rich pageant of prayer and song in a variety of languages, was seen in churches, homes, and open-air gathering places throughout Europe and the Americas, as well as Africa and Asia. In Italy, even MTV carried the funeral without interruption.

The Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul echoed with prayers in more than half a dozen languages yesterday - from Swahili and Creole and Polish to Tagalog, Italian, Spanish and English - as area Roman Catholics jammed the ornate cathedral for an hour-long midday Funeral Mass for Pope John Paul II. They crammed into pews to say farewell to their spiritual leader - the only pope many had ever known. They stood in the aisles and lined the walls, and some little children even slept on the marble floor, as Rev. Robert P. Maginnis, auxiliary bishop, said the Mass.

TIME HAS a way of bringing forth among the human race one who can communicate to all. Pope John Paul II's talent for this does not come from political or military stature, but from the grace of a common man. He was an individual who could travel from his home base to other locales and receive the applause of those in attendance. His style of communication was based on truth and care, he could extend his arms to those who not only suffered from disease, but also from tyranny. He could face world leaders and hold true to his beliefs.

Pope John Paul II gave thought to stepping down in 2000, a reading of his will suggested yesterday, as millions of pilgrims jammed Rome and looked toward this morning's farewell to the pontiff. John Paul's funeral promised to be one of the largest Western religious gatherings of modern times, conducted with the pomp of an ancient liturgy and attended by royalty, political power brokers, and multitudes of the faithful. President Bush led the U.S. delegation, which was to be joined by Britain's Prince Charles, who postponed his wedding by one day to honor the Pope; by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan; and by representatives of more than 80 countries.

DURING these days after the death of Pope John Paul II, the world is remembering a man revered by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. This holy pontiff is known as a "pope for the people" and will be respected by many for communication among peoples of all denominations, races, ages, and cultures. We honor a man who was the religious leader of a Catholic community plagued with much scrutiny over issues like the case of Terri Schiavo and the sexual molestation scandals involving priests.

Santorum and Amtrak Believing that Sen. Rick Santorum is a man of his word, I found it difficult to understand a March 28 letter and the blasting of the senator by Howard Dean. Each pointed out that Santorum had promised to vote for Amtrak spending but had recently voted against a resolution that provided funding for Amtrak. Upon checking out the senator's Web site, the reason for the problem became evident. In a paragraph missing from The Inquirer's version of a column the senator wrote for the March 25 Commentary Page, Santorum explains that he voted against the resolution because it raised taxes but did not assure that the money would ultimately go to Amtrak.