JOHN PAUL LAID TO REST
The man of peace had a peaceful funeral, so different from that of a secular head of state. No cannons firing in salute, no fighter jets roaring overhead, no soliders snapping to attention and carrying the casket -- just guards in colorful costumes with ornamental pikes and the Gentlemen of the Holy Father, Italian bluebloods dressed in white tie and tails. He got much the same Mass as any Catholic would get, except that a million people stood nearby and monarchs and heads of state or government of nearly ninety countries were in attendance. The only major country not represented was China, which went into its usual snit when Taiwan showed up.

Cardinal Ratzinger drew lessons from the Pope's long and eventful life and compared them to the scriptural words of the Savior. He did not extoll the virtues of the dead Pope, a secular eulogy not being in the Catholic style, but simply declared that John Paul was no doubt looking down from Heaven. The sentiment was shared by thousands in St. Peter's Square and expressed in banners calling on the church to declare him a saint.

Bill Clinton, a thoroughly secular man, said the Pope had a "mixed legacy." Not really. He has a rich and complicated legacy that will take years to fully comprehend and assimilate, but the only thing "mixed" about his life and legacy was the public reaction to it. Millions of Catholics "disagreed" with him on various issues, and most of them cannot understand why their views are not as good as his. But the Pope was the vicar of Christ, not a politician. He proclaimed truth, not a platform. If he had compromised his own principles for the sake of popularity, would millions of people have streamed to Rome for his funeral? Then his legacy would truly have been mixed.