Karol Wojtyla, 1920-2005

Cross posted at Political Arguments.

Pope John Paul II died in the Vatican today.

VATICAN CITY, April 2 - Pope John Paul II died today, finally succumbing to years of illness endured painfully and publicly, ending an extraordinary, if sometimes polarizing, 26-year reign that remade the papacy.

He died in his chambers here at the Vatican, just after 9.37 p.m. here, the Vatican said. His health had deteriorated over the last few weeks, and in the last few days his decline was precipitous. He had been near death since Thursday, when his already weak system suffered a series of serious blows, including heart and circulatory collapse. On Friday morning, the Vatican announced he was in "very grave" condition, and that night it said his condition had become even worse, with his breathing shallow and kidneys failing.

I will be posting updates on the coming conclave and election.