Pope John Paul the Great

Apparently the Church doesn't confer upon a pope the title of "the Great", and it was last done in the 5th and 6th century. Among the members of the human race today, it is amazing that nearly everyone can agree that John Paul II was indeed a great man. Personally, I call that a miracle. It's a bonified miracle on a day when one can say without reservation that everyone on Earth could actually agree on something.

John Paul the Great was not just a priest or a bishop or a cardinal or a pope, he was a man that believed people could see eye to eye. He had an intense belief that deep down we're all the same. He believed that people might realize that they could treat others as they'd like to be treated themselves. John Paul the Great's message found fertile ground in the hearts of Christians, Jews, Hindu, Muslims, Buddhists, agnostics and even some atheists. An atheist could believe in what John Paul the Great had to say, so remarkable were the words that came from a mere man. A Christian would add that his words came from God and a Jew wouldn't argue. A Muslim would agree and call that god Allah. Hindus and Buddhists would say that this man was surely more than just a man, and the Christians would nod in approval. Agnostics would find, perhaps for the first time, a way to reconcile their beliefs. Surely this was a great man.

His conservative opinions and interpretation of canon law were widely disputed in the Church. Protestant Christian religions would not hold themselves subject to his authority. Orthodoxy would not accept his supremacy. But no one ever turned him away when he was on their doorstep. People were awed by him. People flocked to him. People listened to him with their hearts. Could a Christian anywhere of any faith--Protestant or Catholic, Orthodox or otherwise--not see that he walked in the footsteps of the carpenter from Galilee.

The newspaper I read today said that the Church doesn't confer upon someone the title "the Great", rather it comes from a common usage--informally finding it's way into history's lexicon. I don't agree: this man simply was great, and calling him such comes naturally.