It saddens me that today, even after a lengthy illness and knowing that his death was imminent, Pope John Paul II passed away at 9:37 p.m. (Rome time), 1:37 p.m. Central time.

Pope John Paul II was a true man a peace, reaching out to the poor and forgotten, building bridges between the church and other faiths, and helping to usher into the world an era without communism.

You have served your Father well, Karol Wojtyla.

Requiescat in pace (5/18/1920 - 4/2/2005).