This one is for the Lord's number one servant until recently. I am glad Karol of Kracow, Poland's mission on earth is over. He has done so much in his 26 years as the supreme head of the Catholic Church.
It had been a long journey for him - from Poland to Rome. The legacies he left behind are many. Since his passing a few days ago, people, not just Christians, remember him in so many kind ways.
His hundred over visits to places across the globe; his words of encouragement, his prayers for the poor and the needy; his concern for all regardless of their creeds and colour, and his relentless passion for peace on earth.
Pope John Paull II's entry into Rome broke all kinds of records, among which was the fact that for the first time in about 455 years, the Catholic Church had a Polish Pope. The centuries that went before had only seen Italian popes. So it was a breakthrough of some kind.
The holy father was also remembered for his devotion to the Mother of Immaculate Conception. He credited his survival from an assassin's bullet to her intervention. He made no secret of it and for decades, had proclaimed her love and concern for everyone on earth and how we can show our love for others and in turn for God.
The idea was to save us a lot of pain in the future which she said was coming if the future is not altered by our prayers, sacrifices and concern for others.
The fall of Communism was credited to the tireless efforts of Pope John Paul II. I recall that there were two consecutive years when he proclaimed that those years be devoted to the Holy Mother. In doing so, he urged Catholics the world over to pray the Rosary constantly, continuously and fervently.
Russia today is testimony to the power of prayer, to the promise made by the Virgin Mary and to God's major domo Pope John Paul.
Even as I pen these words, I can hear the singing of Latin verses over TV. The sounds of the Church are coming from the Vatican as preparations are being made to bury the late pontiff and also for the election of a new pope.
The Catholic Church has been at the crossroads for years over several controversial, burning issues. Among them are celibacy of priests, ordination of women priests, birth control and errant priests who have been found guilty of child abuse offences.
Pope John Paul II had wrestled with these issues in the last years of his life. He had done much but the work is not over and is left for his successor.
Leaders of the world from Russia to Palestine have acknowledged the sincerity and holiness of the pope. None has any unkind words for him. Non-Christians have confessed to loving him for his passion for peace. US President George W. Bush has not hid his admiration for the pope. Gerhard Schroeder of Germany, Tony Blair of Britain and John Howard of Australia have all spoken well of him.
But the most important is the respect that youths all over the world have for the head of the Catholic Church. During his reign, the Pope travelled hundreds of thousands of miles to be with the youths. When he met them, he urged them to realise their potential for good. Obviously, his advice has worked on many of them.
Today, tomorrow and years ahead, we will all remember Pope John Paul II as a man who had made the difference. It may be a cliche but one man can make all the difference. The Pope had done it and he showed us all it is not that difficult.
Already, some people are calling him Pope John Paul the Great. In the history of the Catholic Church, there is only one other Pope who has been bestowed that title.
I am sure even now as I write, Pope John Paul II is praying and interceding for us all in heaven. He had walked in the way of the light and peace. May we all follow the path that he had blazed for us.
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