Orrin Hatch: “when Pope John Paul II died over the weekend, the Catholic Church lost its spiritual shepherd. The world lost a giant of…”

“when Pope John Paul II died over the weekend, the Catholic Church lost its spiritual shepherd. The world lost a giant of a man. As successor of St. Peter, he began his papacy by reminding the world to ``Be not afraid.'' The captive people of Eastern Europe and Latin America heard that message loud and clear. And as he prepared for his own death, he met his suffering with a fearlessness and hopefulness that was heard by us all. For millions of American Catholics, including many Utahns, and many of my colleagues in this body, Pope John Paul II's passing represents the loss of a profound spiritual leader. My prayers are with all of you and with the Pope. For non-Catholics like myself the Pope's death is a cause for mourning as well. His was an example of strength, commitment, and moral courage that we will all miss and that we will never forget. The Communist tyranny that the Pope ultimately triumphed over once mocked the power of the Catholic Church, asking how many divisions the Pope had. While it is true that the Pope possessed no military might, his witness to hope, his faith that life would triumph over death, that the light would prevail over the darkness, was more powerful than any army. As a result of his simple faith, this humble man from Krakow, Poland emerged from behind the Iron Curtain, became the first non-Italian Pope in nearly 500 years, and concluded his life as one of the towering figures of the Twentieth Century.”