Pope John Paul II seems to epitomize a man with a mission, someone who always has another big project before him. The story of his papacy consists of episodes of vigorous transformation. The first non-Italian pope in half a millennium was bound to break some barriers, but I’m sure no one predicted that when he ascended to the seat held by St. Peter that the world would change so dramatically.

News currently surrounding the Pope is primarily speculation. Does he have Parkinson’s disease or merely exhibit its symptoms? Will he retire, an action unprecedented by his predecessors, or will the world wait as he grows increasingly frail? Who will succeed the Pole who was once Bishop Karol Wojtyla and became so beloved that he was named the 1994 Time Man of the Year?

Obviously the Church needs to look ahead to a future when Pope John Paul II is not at the helm of over a billion members of the faithful, and in determining the successor, the college of cardinals should critically examine the legacy of Pope John Paul II and decide which features they wish to perpetuate.

Few will have his credentials as a young and vigorous man rising quickly within the hierarchy, his intellectual or linguistic capabilities, his unabashed love of youth and the poor, and his real-life experience of a flourishing spirituality despite religious persecution.

John Paul II connects with the faithful. It is that simple. He has never been a face on a prayer card or a man in white robes who appears on Easter in an ornate chapel. He is a road warrior for the faith, going places where no Pope dared to go before. Greece. Turkey. Israel. Cuba. Russia. Kenya. The Philippines. Jordan. Azerbaijan.

More than a religious figure, he has elevated his role to that of diplomat, mediator and unifier. He would disembark from the plane, no matter the remote destination, and kiss the earth of the host nation. In contrast to the inaccessible Latin that once characterized the Church, Pope John Paul II is famous for addressing the people in their vernacular, be it Spanish, English or Russian.

The calls for his resignation, even among members of the Catholic hierarchy, are probably out of concern that the remarkable Pope is markedly slowing down and unable to continue his whirlwind schedule of tearing down Communism, bridging schisms and apologizing for the litany of sins committed in the name of the church. When the Pope set the bar for himself, he set it high, and it seems that some are dissatisfied with the slower pace of the aging pontiff.

However, papal resignation is unprecedented. Leaving a vulnerable church in leaderless flux seems hardly a responsible choice. Furthermore, not recognizing the profound impact John Paul II has made on the face of world Catholicism and sweeping him aside as a relic is disgraceful.

On his recent trip to Bulgaria, news reports described the weakened Pope as speaking so indistinctly that listeners had difficulty understanding him. He has been too incapacitated to say Mass and give communion. The Pope now needs assistance walking and moving.

Whenever I see despairing reports about the Pope’s health, I am saddened most by a disregard for a lifetime of achievement as a leader of the faithful and a follower of the faith.

It is hard to see the man who epitomized life to be in his twilight years. Now is the time to honor Pope John Paul II and quietly and tactfully look ahead to a pontiff worthy of his legacy.

Rachel Faber Machacha is a graduate student in international development studies from Emmetsburg.