Vatican announces Pope demise
Regional-Vatican, Politics, 4/4/2005

The Vatican announced yesterday the demise of Pope John Paul II (age 84). For 26 years he headed the Catholic Church advocating peace in the world.

The pope was born in 1920 in Poland. In his youth, he was found of theatre, poetry, sports and travel. He was elected to head the Catholic Church when he was 58 of age, and so he was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.

He spent all his life struggling for world peace and opposing war. For that reason, he stood against the American war on Iraq, and launched his appeal on the occasion of Easter in 2003 for the establishment of peace in Iraq and in other areas in the world, that still witness conflicts.

The pope deserved the nomination for Noble prize for peace and was the first pope ever to be nominated for the prize because of his stance against the war on Iraq.

Meantime, King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Commander of the faithful, sent a message of condolences to his Eminence Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Dean of the College of Cardinals, following the demise Saturday evening of the Holy Father John Paul II.

The message said: "It is with deep affliction and vivid emotion, We learnt of the passing away of the Holy Father John Paul II, may the Lord of Heavens have him in His Holy Mercy.

"On this painful circumstance, We are keen on presenting, and via you, to the Christian World and particularly to the Honourable Catholic Church, the most sincere expression of our condolences and our compassion following the demise of this outstanding personality having immense international radiance, who never ceased inspiring adepts of Christianity and the other communities.

"Indeed, the illustrious departed devoted all his life to the service of the most noble ideals and sublime virtues the celestial religions share: those of fate, freedom, peace, love, compassion, brotherliness and concord between all men without any discrimination.

"In these moments of grief, We remember in moving pride of the deep relations of sincere affection and mutual esteem, which bound us to the great departed and which are part of the continuity of the sound and privileged ties between Morocco and the Holy See. Indeed, since the reign of Our Beloved father, His Majesty King Hassan II, may god sanctify his soul, these relations have always been distinguished by a resolve to give all substance to the values of dialog, tolerance and perfect understanding between the revealed religions.

"While We share your grief in these painful moments and implore the All-High to bestow on the great departed His Holy Mercy, We assure you of Our resolve to keep on working for the consolidation of these ties and for the reinforcement of consultation between the revealed religions to root and consecrate human noble values.

" We belong to God and to him we return"

"Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, Commander of the faithful."

Previous Stories:
  Pope John Paul II: Call for peace for the holy lands   (12/27/2004)
  Zeibari to the Pope: Iraq will protect its Christians   (12/14/2004)
  The pope deplores the blowing up of churches in Iraq   (12/9/2004)
  Vatican calls on Muslims and Catholics to protect children   (11/6/2004)
  King resolved to endeavour with pope for peace and co-existence in Middle East   (10/20/2004)
  Pope John Paul II calls for making peace in ME, abandoning conflicts   (1/22/2004)
  Pope's stances are appreciated in the Arab states   (7/15/2003)
  Pope refuses to bless the war against Iraq as just   (3/27/2003)
  Vatican denounces Bush's speech: He shoulders responsibility before God, history   (3/19/2003)
  The Pope: peaceful efforts on Iraq should be exhausted   (3/17/2003)
  The Pope opposes attacking Iraq   (12/26/2002)
  The Pope calls on Sharon to stop attack on Ramullah   (9/25/2002)
  Vatican launches war against Israeli crimes   (4/15/2002)
  The Vatican summons the ambassadors of the US, Israel   (4/4/2002)
  Interviews :On the Pope 's visit to Damascus   (5/7/2001)
  Pope arrives in Damascus   (5/5/2001)
  Syrian information minister: the Pope's visit to Quneitra aims at tracing Israeli crimes   (5/1/2001)
  On the Pope's visit to Damascus; common prayer   (3/29/2001)
  No join prayers during the Pope's visit to the Umayyad's mosque   (3/16/2001)
  Pope John Paul II stresses the right of Palestinians to a homeland   (3/23/2000)
  Pope denounces sanctions on Iraq   (3/20/2000)
  Israeli criticism for Palestinian government agreement with the Vatican   (2/16/2000)
  Pope to join Bethlehem 2000 celebration in Palestine   (1/6/1999)
  The Vatican and Israel: showdown over new archbishop   (8/8/1998)

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