Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I would like to be associated with the sentiments expressed about the Pope. In Ireland, we have a long tradition of not speaking ill of the dead and of celebrating their lives. In my personal response to the Pope's death, I thought of the things that inspired me, annoyed me and entertained me. An occasion like this is like an Irish funeral, which we do very well. We think back on someone's life and we think of those things that pleased us, those things about which we argued and those things which fell between the two. In celebrating someone's life, we must recognise that there are many great people with whom we have disagreed over the years. The fact that Shakespeare may have been great does not mean that one agreed with every word he wrote. There were many great philosophers with whom I would disagree completely on some issues. However, I would stillrecognise their ability and their contribution to debate.

The situation is similar with Pope John Paul II. He was squeezed out of oppression and the most difficult background imaginable. He lived through that and maintained dignity and respect at all times. It is true that there were issues on which I felt let down. I felt let down on his attitudes towards women, especially the ordination of women priests. As far as I recall, he was opposed at one stage to alter girls. On the other hand, I got a great lift from his extraordinary commitment to peace in the world. That is something he learned in his youth. He had the courage to take on one of those fights which he knew he could not win, when he publicly took on the might of the US and the UK in both wars in the Middle East in the past 15 years. That is where people like me saw the other side of him.

I regret that he did not buy into the liberation theology of South America. At the same time, we should not be surprised to find that the Pope was a Catholic, nor should we be surprised to find that there were different views within the broader church. He created strong debate and he reached out to groups around the globe that had never previously felt connected. He gave a space to other groups and people, through the number of saints created and the number of cardinals appointed from parts of the world that never previously had a cardinal. He was also the first media Pope. When he came down those steps in 1979 to kiss the ground of Ireland, we were all stunned. When he reached out in Ballybrit in County Galway and said, "Young people of Ireland, I love you", we were stunned by the words. He had the ability to bring us into the general debate and that is where is greatness lies.

Pope John Paul II will be remembered for the challenges he threw down. He will remembered as a Pope who created a discussion on issues that were never discussed previously and as someone who had a great commitment to peace. To me, he will always be the great peacemaker. One of his defining qualities was the way he reached out to people who were not part of the church. He took a stand for peace, even when he knew he could not win. He was clearly committed to a more inclusive, global society. The fact that he did not move quickly enough for me is my problem, not his. It does not take from his contribution. I recognise a great statesman and leader, with whom I disagreed in many ways. May he rest in peace.