A Journey Now Complete

John Paul II has passed from this world to the next. His passing leaves the world with one less symbol of the fight against Communist Totalitarianism. Those born after this date will never truly understand how important he was, and how daunting his task. The Communists declared that their victory was "inevitable," but it was John Paul II who had a far greater understanding of what constituted that. His faith and conviction, and those of millions of people in Eastern Europe, helped bring down the Iron Curtain. Along with Thatcher and Reagan, he will be remembered as one of the greats of this past era. His death was not unexpected, and he bore the suffering it involved with a greater strength than any I can think of. In dying, he showed us how to die with dignity. His being gone is a reminder to us that this is a new century, a new millennium, with new troubles and new evils to face. May we have the strength, conviction and faith to face them as well as John Paul II.