Pope John Paul II dead at 84

Pope John Paul II, who died today in Rome at the age of 84, will be remembered as a strong-willed, energetic religious leader who left a profound mark on both the Roman Catholic church and world history.

Born Karol Josef Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland, the future pope survived fascism and communism in his native land and rose through church ranks before being chosen in 1978 as the "vicar of Christ" and successor to the short-lived John Paul I.

His elevation shook the world. Not only was he the first Polish pope ever, he was the first non-Italian in 455 years. Taking the name John Paul II, the new pope quickly set himself apart from his predecessors with his bold public outreach and willingness to embrace modern communications technology -- from television to the Internet.

A champion of the poor, the oppressed, and the unborn, John Paul was a theological conservative who was withering in his criticism of both communist oppression and capitalist materialism. His support of Polish Catholics and democracy movements in Eastern Europe in the 1980s was instrumental in hastening the collapse of the Iron Curtain and the demise of the Soviet Union.

He was also a religious diplomat who reached across historical divides to improve relations with other faiths -- particularly between Catholics and Jews.

And he was a tireless traveler who became one of the world's most recognized and beloved figures, remembered by millions as the white-robed prelate waving from the glass-enclosed "popemobile." He attracted huge crowds, often packed with young people, as he travelled the world.

The combination of his lengthy tenure and his powerful personality made him one of the most important religious and political figures of the 20th century.

"Although I have lived through much darkness, under harsh totalitarian regimes, I have seen enough evidence to be unshakably convinced that no difficulty, no fear is so great that it can completely suffocate the hope that springs eternal in the hearts of the young," he said in a homily at a World Youth Day Mass in Toronto in 2002. "Do not let that hope die. Stake your lives on it. We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son."

John Paul began his papacy as an energetic man who took vacations to ski and hike, but in recent years he had been ailing visibly, often struggling to walk, or even to keep his head upright while seated. Nearly killed by an assassin in 1981, the pope had been weakened by arthritis and Parkinson's disease, and on occasion his speech was so slurred and his breathing so labored that he relied on aides to wheel him about and to read his remarks.   Continued...