I went to Catholic school for 13 years, and my family's been very involved in the church for as long as I can remember. I can't remember when Pope John Paul II became the head of the church, he's the only Pope I've known, and it's tough to see anyone (papal or not) suffering like that.

I haven't really kept to my Catholic roots in recent years and I don't really share the same views the church does, but still I consider him a leader, and it broke my heart to see him leading the people at Lourdes despite his ailments.