Statement by Bishop Stephen Blaire on the Death of Pope John Paul II

April 2, 2005

A great and holy man of God has gone home to the Lord. The Chair of St. Peter is empty now while the Church awaits a new pope. She will long remember John Paul II, as will the world, to have been a man for peace, an apostle for Christian unity, a living witness of God's mercy and forgiveness, a brother to all humanity, a strong voice for the gospel of life, a beacon of hope for the new millennium, and a spokesman and prophet for the poor and oppressed of the world. The Bishop of Rome, the Patriarch
of the West, the Roman Pontiff has died. His legacy is the ardor of the new evangelization to bring the face of Christ to all peoples, to all cultures and to every heart. John Paul II, in imitation of his Lord and Savior, made known God's name to the world and the love with which God embraces all peoples. May he rest in peace and enjoy the fullness of eternal life.

Last Update December 6, 2007