The Vatican says Pope John Paul has died. Word came in an e-mail from the Vatican. It said “The Holy Father died this evening at 9:37 p.m. in his private apartment.”

(I’m at my Saturday job at the radio station. We have just announced it, and scheduled special programming. I am most unexpectedly moved by this, especially since I was in the news game 25 years ago, and my voice was breaking up in a most unprofessional manner….)