Why Mourn a Pope

Pope John Paul II passed away this weekend, and the attempts to define his legacy have begun.

It is safe to say that the Polish pope influenced history and helped hasten the collapse of Communist tyranny. His alliance with Reagan and Thatcher in their position that Communism was wrong and immoral, not merely different, lent serious moral weight to their arguement. And in a war of ideals, such support was invaluable.

Pope John Paul II was steadfast in his beliefs, and believed that his church should remain steadfast. While the deliberations on the successor to to the throne of St. Paul begin, already there are calls from American Catholics to radically alter Catholic Church positions on a wide range of issues, from abortion and birth control to stem cell research. Schism and conflict are possible; certainly it is safe to say that the Catholic Church is at a crossroads.

As an outsider, I really have no insight to offer here. I know that John Paul's pro-life teachings were a welcome ally to LDS arguments against abortion; I hope that this continues.

Lots more good stuff on the pope at National Review.

Also a good column by Charles Krauthammer.