DailyOrange.com will feature campus reaction to the death of Pope John Paul II, check back Sunday

Pope John Paul II, the charismatic leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died in his private chambers in the Vatican at around 2:30 p.m. EST today at the age of 84 as thousands of faithful stood vigil outside his windows, praying.

The Pope’s death came after two months of declining health. On Thursday, he was administered the sacrament for the sick and the dying, called ‘extreme unction,’ or the last rites, after his heart and circulatory system collapsed.

The pontiff has long suffered form Parkinson’s disease, an affliction long-denied by Vatican officials, as well as arthritis in his knees and hip. In 1981, he was shot at close range in St. Peter’s square by Turkish national Mehmet Ali Agca, whom he later visited in prison.

John Paul II was born as Karol Wojtlya on May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland. With his ordination as pontiff in 1978, John Paul II became the 264th pope and the first non-Italian in 450 years.

John Paul II was the most-traveled pontiff, speaking eight languages and visiting 129 different countries, including Cuba in 2000. He was the first pope to pray in a synagogue and opened diplomatic relations with Israel in 1993.

He was known for his social conservatism, passion for economic justice, and dedication to the Church in Communist countries.

As per Church rules, the 117 cardinals will meet in the next 15 to 20 days to elect the next pope in series of secret ballots under Michelangelo’s painted depictions of the creation in the Sistine Chapel.

Published on April 1, 2005 at 12:00 pm