Pope John Paul II 1920-2005

"We all feel like orphans this evening." -Undersecretary of State Archbishop Leonardo Sandri

THE SOUND OF HIS VOICE
For those of us under the age of forty, John Paul II was the only pope we ever really knew. For a surprisingly large number of us, he was the only pope we ever met or saw in person. For virtually all of us, he was the singular face of the Catholic Church during our adult lives. We measured our lives with him by decades.

He was the pope of our lives. He loved us. We loved him.

We heard the sound of his voice often, and even now, in the silence, we cannot forget it. May his words, "Be not afraid! Come to Christ!" echo in our ears when our breathing, too, becomes thin and our flesh fails us.
-commentary posted on www.catholicity.com

"The angels welcome you." -Vatican TV
"Let perpetual light shine on him and let him repose in peace." -Cardinal Angelo Sodano