| Pope John Paul II (1920 - 2005) |
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On April 2, 2005 at 9:37 (Vatican time), a saintly man passed into the next world. Throughout his life and especially during his 26 years of papal office, Pope John Paul II touched the lives of countless people. His last days had the prayers of Catholics all over the world and even the attention of secular world. While he would be known for his role as Vicar of Christ and social issues, he saw the potential of computers and the internet to spread the Good News throughout the world. The Vatican, being its own nation, has an Internet country prefix (.va). The office web site of the Church can be found at www.vatican.va, where you can find office Church documents including the writing of the Pope. In an attempt to further reach the youth through high technology, the Vatican wanted to reach people through their cell phones. A partnership with Verizon Wireless was forged which would transmit a daily nondenominational . . . inspirational message of prayers and guidance at a nominal price of 30 cents each. Religious groups use the Internet to spread their messages, but very few use the tiny screens of cell phones and PDA s to this effect. Under the Pope s leadership, St. Isidore of Seville was named the patron saint of the Internet, computer users, and computer technicians. The Holy Father also taught a great deal on Purgatory. He stressed the need to pray for the holy souls, even for the souls of deceased cardinals and bishops. One might think that these men didn t need to be prayed for because they probably took the freeway straight to heaven, not stopping by purgatory on their way. However, holy men do sin, and they are judged more harshly because of their position and responsibilities given to them by God. We should not forget to pray for everyone and not make assumptions. Pope John Paul II will be sorely missed by both the Catholics and non-Catholics that he touched. Rest assured, he will remember us at the feet of Our Lord in heaven. |
