We all pay great respect to the life and death of Pope John Paul II. Christian or not, we all admired and were many ways in awe of the Pope. His politics were very conservative and made the Catholic Church somewhat inaccessible for many of us. Then again, his unwavering convictions and clarity in which he framed his policy were what many of us strive to attain in our own lives.

His campaign to promote the sanctity of life crossed over to very volatile political territory, especially in the Western world. His pro-life viewpoints often clashed with pro-choice proponents. Most recently, the Papal support of Terry Shiavo's parents to prolong her life flew in the face of death with dignity advocates. Whatever your politics, the logic of the Pope's argument was always clear and elegant -- it always boiled down to the recognition and respect for the sanctity of life. Ultimately, and perhaps ironically, he taught us in his final days how truly to die with dignity.

NICE Magazine understands that this is a highly simplistic overview of the Pope and of these highly charged issues. We do not promote any polical points of view. We do, however, think it's important to provoke thought and discussion about certain issues; and often they are of a political nature. It was hard to think of the Pope without thinking of his politics (I know I always have the image in my head of Sinead O'Conner burning the picture of the Pope on Saturday Night Live). So then, enough with this disclaimer.

Here's a sampling of some articles about the Pope in our finest local newspapers:

'Genuine kindness' Edmonton Sun...

'John Paul leaves behind a legacy of friendship, kindness' Post-Crescent...

'Nevadans recount encounters with pope, tell of his kindness' Reno Gazette-Journal...

'E.V. Catholics tell of pontiff’s kindness, spirit' East Valley Tribune...

'S. Florida Jewish community laments death of pope' South Florida Sun-Sentinel...

'OTHER VOICES: At heart of pope's legacy is unwavering stand for life' Detroit Free Press...

'Gunman who tried to assassinate Pope says he's mourning' Syndey Morning Herald...

'German Papers: The Pope Wasn't so Bad After All' SPIEGEL...

D. Robert & NICE Staff