"Her Majesty (Queen Elizabeth II) remembers the untiring efforts of Pope John Paul II in promoting peace and goodwill throughout the world."
-- A statement from Buckingham Palace
"We, as Orthodox Christians, will always remember, among other instances, (his) expression of a desire for reconciliation and unity as we pray for the repose of his soul."
-- The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
"Pope John Paul II was surely one of the most outstanding people of the
20th century. His personal warmth and ability to engage with people made him
a charismatic figure."
-- The Rev. Alison Elliot, moderator of the Church of Scotland
"He not only spoke about bringing freedom to the enslaved in nations all
around the word, but he moved heaven and earth to bring about freedom for
enslaved people through his actions."
-- Roberta Combs, president of the Christian Coalition of America
"Pope John Paul II appealed to people to reach the heights of their
human potential, to respect one another by acting justly and with charity."
-- Monsignor William Kerr, director of the Pope John Paul II Cultural
Center in Washington.
"His guidance renewed in us our need to come together as one human
family and challenged us to reach out to the poorest of the poor -- not just
to alleviate their suffering but to help them fulfill their potential and
maintain their dignity as human persons."
-- Ken Hackett, president of Catholic Relief Services
"With the loss of this amazing figure the world is missing one of the
greatest men of our time, but for all of us touched by his time here on
Earth, we are consoled in the knowledge that we are strengthened by his
legacy."
-- Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council
"To enumerate his many accomplishments and deeds of service to the
church and the human family would literally fill volumes."
-- Archbishop John Myers of Newark, N.J.
"No pope did more for the Jews than John Paul II."
-- Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center
"He will be long remembered for his tireless efforts to promote world
peace and for his great warmth of personality."
-- Prince Charles, prince of Wales
"John Paul II was the first bishop to visit a synagogue in almost 2,000
years. He repeatedly stated that anti-Semitism is a sin against God and that
there is no room in Christianity for anti-Semitic interpretations of
Christian texts."
-- Eugene Korn, director of Jewish affairs and intergroup relations,
American Jewish Congress
"We ... join people everywhere in thanking God for the long and
remarkable ministry of this beloved Christian leader and pray God's blessing
on the Roman Catholic Church as it seeks guidance in selecting a successor."
-- The Rev. Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion
"Throughout the many years of his service as spiritual leader of the
Roman Catholic Church, he was a shining example of dedication to the
episcopal ministry and to the high office to which he was called and a good
steward of the manifold grace of God."
-- Metropolitan Herman, primate of the Orthodox Church in America
"The life and witness of John Paul II spanned the horrors of the 20th --
and now into 21st -- centuries. All those movements and events that
conspired to undermine human dignity -- from Hitler's Fascism, to
Marxist-Leninist gulags, to the debasement of human sexuality, to the
culture of death -- he stood against all with courage and faith, lifting up
a vision of humankind as our Creator intended us."
-- Diane Knippers, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy
"Throughout his leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope John Paul
II's theme has always been `Be not afraid.' He lived this belief and serves
as an inspiration to millions of Christians."
-- Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, chairman of Traditional Values Coalition
"The pope's willingness to reach out to Christians outside of the Roman
Catholic faith was critical to promoting unity across the Christian family.
His vision, his determination, and his loving spirit will be missed by
Christians around the world."
-- Chuck Colson, founder and president of Prison Fellowship
-- Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop of Washington
"A genius with languages and with the new ideas of our age, he will be remembered as a giant of our time, and of every time."
-- Cardinal William Keeler, archbishop of Baltimore
"The world now mourns the loss of this man of God whose spirit and devotion, even in the face of frail health, exemplified Jesus Christ's own love for the church."
-- Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago
"From the perspective of Christian faith, Pope John Paul II was never a
more compelling witness to the hope of the Gospel than in his last years and
months. Even in his diminishment and dying, our Holy Father offered himself
as a gift for the church and the world, emptying himself, pouring himself
out before us ... and through self-giving unto death, has become life, light
and love for the world."
-- Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles
"Our beloved Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has been called home to
God. To his dying breath, he has served God and the church with unwavering
love and his own steadfast faith in Jesus Christ."
-- Cardinal Adam Maida, archbishop of Detroit
"This pope may have come from a faraway place, but he grew close to the
hearts of millions over the years in every part of the world."
-- Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia
"His Holiness John Paul II will be remembered as one of the most
courageous spiritual leaders of our time. He demonstrated this courage as
much in his illness as he did through his leadership, his writings and his
pronouncements."
-- The Rev. Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of
Churches.
"He was truly the pope of peace, whose commitment to the cause of peace
is unmatched in our time."
-- Carl Anderson, supreme knight, Knights of Columbus
"A man of the people, he championed the cause of justice and peace not
only for his native Poland but on behalf of all the peoples of the world. He
welcomed into his embrace people of every creed and race, but his love for
young people was a special example of his care for all."
-- The Rev. Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America and president of the Lutheran World Federation
"Pope John Paul II was a religious leader of inordinate conviction,
courage and compassion who bridged the gulf between intellect and spirit,
piety and poverty, church and synagogue to leave the world a better place."
-- Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary
in New York
"In word and deed, Pope John Paul II worked tirelessly to repair the
church's painful 2,000-year history with the Jewish people. ... He was a man
of God in every sense and a true friend whose visionary leadership will be
sorely missed."
-- Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League
"The historic and landmark contributions that he made to Catholic-Jewish
relations were pioneering and invaluable. The pope's denunciation of
anti-Semitism as a sin against God, which he made as he traveled around the
world, is all the more important in light of the alarming trends we see
today."
-- Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
"His voice and moral authority gave inspiration and hope to millions
well beyond the Roman Catholic Church. His commitment to the unity of the
church expressed itself in his personal willingness to meet with
representatives of other faith communities and to invite those outside his
own tradition to reflect on how the ministry of the bishop of Rome might be
of greater service both in the cause of Christian unity and the well-being
of the world."
-- The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, presiding bishop of the Episcopal
Church
"I hope that this pope will be remembered most for the remarkable things
he did to bring forgiveness to a higher level of discussion in Christian
circles. That will, I believe, be one of his lasting legacies and perhaps
his greatest achievement as pope. On a personal level, the pope forgave his
would-be assassin -- a remarkable act and an amazing testimony to Christian
forgiveness.
-- John Witvliet, director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.
"Pope John Paul II was one of the giants of our time. The pope enlisted
his vigorous intellect, abundant charisma and considerable will in causes of
peace and political freedom. In so doing, he changed not only his church,
but our world. His influence will echo down the ages."
-- The Right Rev. John Chane, Episcopal bishop of Washington
" He's ... a pope that has reached out ... as far as he could afford to
reach. He's reached out to other faith groups in an effort to create a sense
of peace between us."
-- Bishop J. Delano Ellis, president of the Joint College of
African-American Pentecostal Bishops
"On the temporal level, this papacy was a profound disappointment for
those who believe that Christ's message of liberation, human freedom and
more democracy should apply not just to the world, but to the church itself.
... He was a pope, but he was a man. He was human; he did good things and
bad things. He had glorious achievements and abject failures. God has
finally taken him home and, I am sure, welcomed him with love and
compassion."
-- Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice
"In our still violent world, John Paul never failed to witness on behalf
of the innocent victims of conflict and war. His deep compassion will serve
as a lasting legacy and tribute."
-- The Rev. William Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist
Association.
"He spoke with conviction, he was principled, he challenged us and said
hard things. Even those who disagreed with him admired his honesty and
conviction. He will be sorely missed; he will be a hard act to follow. May
he rest in peace."
-- The Rev. Tom Reese, editor of the Jesuit magazine America
-- Sister Christine Schenk, executive director, FutureChurch
"Pope John Paul II was a towering figure representing righteousness, spirituality and humanity. His spirit and his legacy are a testament to his dedication to making the world better through the healing of injustices and past misunderstandings."
-- Marie Abrams, chairwoman of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs
"While (we) and Pope John Paul II had clearly divergent views concerning
women, today we express sorrow at his passing and honor the fullness of his
life. (We) also grieve for the actions the pope left undone for women's
equality in the church and the world."
-- Joy Barnes, executive director of the Women's Ordination Conference
"We pray for the repose of his soul, and we pray that the Holy Spirit
will provide our church with a leader who shares Pope John Paul II's strong
voice and moral courage, but who will provide us with a church that is more
open to dialogue, reconciliation and gay/lesbian equality."
-- Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry
"His earthly life is now finished. His teaching, however, will go on:
`Be not afraid!' May God grant him eternal rest and peace."
-- Bishop Donald Wuerl of Pittsburgh
"We give thanks to God for giving us Pope John Paul II -- brother,
father, grandfather, teacher, shepherd, vicar of Christ. And we thank Pope
John Paul II for being all of those things to us, with us and for us in such
an extraordinary way."
-- The Rev. David O'Connell, president of the Catholic University of
America.
"The poor were never far from the heart of Pope John Paul II."
-- The Rev. Larry Synder, president of Catholic Charities USA
"Differences we have in theological perspective do not keep us from
giving testimony to this remarkable legacy of faith and we celebrate those
achievements even as we mourn his death."
-- The Rev. John Thomas, general minister and president of the United
Church of Christ
"He provided inspiration and leadership, not only to Roman Catholics but
also to the greater Christian world and beyond with his uncompromising
stances in favor of life and against the culture of death. Though historic
differences between our churches remain, Pope John Paul II will also be
remembered for his call for Christian churches to seek to work out their
differences in faithfulness to their convictions and to their doctrinal
heritage."
-- The Rev. Gerald B. Kieschnick, president of the Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod
"John Paul II presented evangelicals with a pope in whom we found
amazing ground of agreement and personal respect even as we believe the
office he holds is not a biblical office. ... I think evangelicals also
recognize that in the passing of John Paul II we may never see his likes
again; and there's a real sense of loss in that even as we continue to be
greatly concerned about the institution of the papacy, we have great
admiration for the man."
-- R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary
"The pope's voice remained firm in defense of freedom, family and
Christianity. On matters of principle and morality, he was uncompromising.
On his compassion for the world's poor, he has been unwavering."
-- First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
"Pope John Paul II was passionate in his commitment to doing God's work
here on Earth, seeking peace and justice for all. His deeds, his words, and
his indomitable spirit of love were a blessing to this world. Pope John Paul
II was a man of God, and he was also a man of the people."
-- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
