Special Edition

DETROIT – Pope John Paul II's life and ministry touched not only Catholics, but the entire world, and there are non-Catholics who also hail his accomplishments.

Rev. Steven Kelly

"Pope John Paul's impact on the world can be seen in what he did to end communism, not by violence, but through his prayerful presence and continued witness for holiness," says the Rev. Steven Kelly, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in downtown Detroit.

"Through his writing, he upheld goodness and virtue and faithfulness. He took a firm stand against the culture of death – the narcissism that led to abortion on demand. John Paul always stood up for what is right, not what might be politically astute at the time," he says.

And Rev. Kelly says Pope John Paul's encyclicals should be persuasive to non-Catholic Christians as well. "Anyone who reads his encyclicals will see how thoroughly biblical, how thoroughly scriptural, they are," he says.

Non-Christians also found many things to praise about the late pope.

Rabbi Daniel S. Nevins

"Pope John Paul II made significant contributions to the reconciliation of Catholics and Jews in the past few years of his tenure," says Rabbi Daniel S. Nevins of Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.

"Symbolic gestures such as visiting Israel and visiting a synagogue in Rome, combined with larger acts such as the belated establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel and the statement, "We Remember," have gone a long way to creating warmth and understanding between our two religious communities," he says.

Rabbi Nevins adds that Pope John Paul's efforts to advance the cause of peace and reconciliation around the world had earned him the respect of people of many faiths, including the Jewish people.