Grenada Today - The National Newspaper of Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique

Roman Catholics in Grenada are saddened by the death of Pope John Paul II and are in a somber mood. Roman Catholic priest, Father Clifton Harris issued these words in commenting on the death last Saturday of the Pope in Rome, Italy.

Fr. Harris said the Catholic Churches on the island are joining the rest of the world body in praying for the smooth passage of the Pope to the afterlife. He announced that the diocese is already making plans to celebrate a memorial Mass for Pope John Paul 11.

" I am confident that he will meet the Lord since he was a man closely united to God in prayer", he remarked. According to Fr. Harris, the head of the Catholic church on the island, His Lordship Bishop Vincent Darius has asked the church and all people of goodwill to unite in prayers for the Pope. "We are asked to pray that God will now welcome him to eternal glory and that his tireless efforts may bear fruit in unity, peace and love among all people", he said.

Fr. Harris who is also the Dominican Prior, described the Pope as a great pastor to the church, and that his pastoral visits and the homilies given on those occasions place him among the best and greatest of Pastors of this century. He said: "His (the Pope) encyclicals demonstrated that he had a grasp of the problems the faithful were wrestling with in living out the faith. He was an inspiration to the youth. No Bishop or Pope for that matter had more influence on the youth of the Church as he did. "His was the honor of initiating World Youth Day.

He was a defender of the poor, an advocate for freedom. He ceaselessly exhorted Christians to preserve the "culture of life" in the face of attacks such as abortion, euthanasia, divorce, and contraception. "As a philosopher, he argued forcefully in his encyclicals Veritatis Splendor and Fides et Ratio that religious faith could and should be reconciled with rational argument and scientific logic.

"As a world leader, John Paul II was engaged in tireless dialogue with the leaders of other religions in a sincere ecumenical exchange. This universal love reaching out to all will be remembered as one of the marked characteristics of his Pontificate", he added. The Pope will be laid to rest on Friday in a funeral ceremony to be attended by most world leaders including U.S President George Bush, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.