Pope’s Death Mourned By Followers Of Many Faiths

As the world mourns the loss of Pope John Paul II, hundreds of thousands of Catholics across Queens are grieving for not only a religious and political icon, but for a father figure.
“He was the only pope I ever knew,” said Lorena Gesuale, 12, of Bayside. “As an altar server [at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament RC Church], I looked up to him for guidance in my faith.”
The death of the pontiff, whose 26-year reign broke barriers and crossed cultures, sent waves of grief throughout the 1.8 million faithful within the Brooklyn Diocese, which comprises Queens.
“Pope John Paul II was a great man,” said Michael Balbo, 83, who broke down upon telling The Queens Courier of his sense of loss. “I feel a very strong bond with him, not only as a Catholic, but as a father and a man.”
According to Vatican representatives and the pontiff’s personal physician Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, the official cause of death was septic shock and heart failure.
And although Pope John Paul II had been struggling with many health issues in the past few years, he nonetheless continued his missionary work in bringing the message of peace to the world.
In fact, in October of 1969, prior to his papacy, he visited Holy Cross Church in Maspeth.
“I feel like almost all Polish people and all Catholics are sad,” said Father Koper of Holy Cross. A native of Poland who studied at the Catholic University of Lublin, at which Pope John Paul II was a professor, Koper continued, “I know his legacy will remain, for although his work in this world is done, he will be helping us from heaven.”
As in life, John Paul’s death was a cohesive force, bringing together people from all countries, cultures and faiths.
“We are in mourning for his death,” said Khan H. Mahmud of the Jamaica Muslim Center. “We feel he was a great religious figure who dedicated his life to the peace and prosperity of the world. We pray for his departed soul.”
Rabbi Moshe Faskowitz of the Torah Center of Hillcrest echoed the sentiment, saying, “I feel grateful to God that He had placed a leader of the Catholic faith that was so sensitive to and understanding of the needs of Jewish and non-Jewish people, so that there can be a sense of peace and harmony among them. I think he craved peace and during his tenure I think people of the Jewish faith felt comfortable that this man of the cloth was a leader of the clergy.”
Now, as Catholics around the world await the appointment of a new pontiff, they look to the lessons of John Paul II to help them through this time of grief and mourning.
“For believers, we should not forget that the Holy Spirit is the most important thing in the church,” said Father Rene, a Scalabrinian missionary. “John Paul was a great pope — he was very humble, very accessible.”
John Paul II will be laid to rest on Friday at the Vatican.
Until then, the church is in a state of suspended animation as top Vatican officials serving under John Paul II stepped down. Following centuries-old tradition, a new pope will be elected by the College of Cardinals within 15 to 20 days.
toni@queenscourier.com