Remembering John Paul II

Episcopalians don't recognize the pope of the Roman Catholic church as the head of the universal church. But they do respect the pope as the leader of the Roman Catholic church, one of the many cultural expressions of the universal church. Rather, the universal church is governed primarily by the many historical ecumenical councils. There are a plurality of bishops recognized together as the leaders of the church universal.

While I also don't agree with many of the specific stances the pope took, I do respect many of his ecumenical and social justice gestures. Recognizing that he was the spiritual leader of millions of Christians around the world and a truly holy man, I feel compelled to post a prayer for him. This is a modified prayer for a recently deceased pope taken from the Daily Roman Missal:

God our Father,
you reward all who believe in you.
May your servant, John Paul II ...,
who faithfully administered the mysteries of your
forgiveness and love on earth,
rejoice with you for ever in heaven.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.