The Pope has passed away

just read the news.. the Vatican has announced that the Pope has passed away. the news will be covered by hundreds of sites.. i'm following it on CNN

i remember the Pope well, having seen him when i was in high school.. and i remember i felt an aura around the man, of peace, and of the presence of a higher being. it was one of the few episodes in my life that i can look back at with unbridled joy and peace. Pope John Paul II, presided over the Vatican at a time when the Catholic faith was under severe attack, and helped the fall of Communism in the Soviet bloc too. may our prayers help usher the soul of a truly devoted servant of the people, and God, to a better place.