Pope John Paul II had been hoping t o make the trip but in January had named a cardinal to represent him because of his frail condition, officials said at the time.
The holy one pope John Paul II has gone His hope and wisdom was second to none This biblical father showed vigour and valour And was the people's heavenly father He gave us hope when hope was gone He rained down prayers for everyone He prayed for peace where turmoil reigned And never gave in for evil gain This holy man the most powerful of all When on his death bed did pray for us all We say goodbye to Pope John Paul And thank him for his wonderful soul The love he showed made us all feel warm He's in God's hands now he has gone home.
Yet no matter how long you spend studying the obituaries and tributes to Pope John Paul II, you will find nothing about his influence on world events that justifies this kind of reaction.
