Billy Graham says Pope John Paul II was "The Most Influential Voice for Morality and Peace in the World During the Last 100 Years"
Dan Wooding, Assist News Service

The Pope, whose 26-year reign as the charismatic leader of the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics ended on Saturday when he died in Rome at the age of 84. In a statement sent to ANS, Mr. Graham went on to say, "His extraordinary gifts, his strong Catholic faith, and his experience of human tyranny and suffering in his native Poland all shaped him, and yet he was respected by men and women from every conceivable background across the world. He was truly one of those rare individuals whose legacy will endure long after he has gone." "In his own way, he saw himself as an evangelist, traveling far more than any other Pope to rally the faithful and call non-believers to commitment. He was convinced that the complex problems of our world are ultimately moral and spiritual in nature, and only Christ can set us free from the shackles of sin and greed and violence. His courage and perseverance in the face of advancing age and illness were an inspiration to millions - including me." "May his death remind each of us that some day we too must die and enter into God's presence - and may we each commit ourselves afresh to Jesus Christ, who died and rose again for our salvation."