The Last Great Man of the 20th Century

That's what Mark Steyn called Pope John Paul II and I must agree.

I'd been tempted to post on this topic many times but it goes against my two primary posting guildlines and they are: 1. That I don't like to post on a topic about which I feel I have nothing new to add. I'd rather just let those who've already said it quite well have the last word, and 2. I don't blog about me and I don't want to start.

Saying anything I have to say on the topic means talking about myself (in terms of my faith) to establish appropriate context. Nevertheless, I must at least note the man's passing. The passing of so monumental a figure in world history warrants straying from the guidelines, just a little.

...and Pope John Paul II was exactly as Steyn describes. He was already a great man by the mid-eighties. He just managed to outlive his only contemporary. While I am not a Catholic, it is undeniable that having such a good man as head of the Catholic Church was to the general good of the world.

Double points for precision go to Mr. Steyn. The Pope was indeed the last great man of the 20th century; Mrs. Thatcher is still with us.