Death of A Pope
The Vatican announced that Pope John Paul II died at 9:37 p.m. on April 2 after a long public struggle against debilitating illness. He was 84. People from all religions and cultures around the world join billions of Catholics around the globe as they mourn the passing of Pope John Paul II.
John Paul had ruled over the large and diverse body of Catholics for over 27 years. The 2002 Official Catholic Directory lists the U.S. Catholic population at 65,270,444. Catholics represent 22.9 percent of the total population of the United States. There are more than 25 million Hispanic American Catholics, 2 million African Americans , and nearly a half million Native Americans.
Under John Paul’s leadership the church saw an increase in members from all races, and an increase in the number of minority men ordained into the priesthood. In 2000, Pope John Paul II made history when he asked for forgiveness for many of his church's past sins, including its treatment of Jews, heretics, women and native peoples. It was believed to be the first time in the history of the Catholic Church that one of its leaders sought such a sweeping pardon.
The list of potential successors to Pope John Paul II are as diverse as his followers. Members of the College of Cardinals, some of whom have flown in from foreign countries, are meeting as a conclave, a pope-selecting body. Only those under the age of 80 will have a vote; there will be no limit on the number of candidates. If after 30 ballots no one receives a two-thirds majority, the margin for victory can be reduced so that a simple majority could choose the next pope.
posted by YouthPlay Staff @ 1:15 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home