Karol Josef Wojtyla seems like a bright young fellow who could end up in a high ecclesiastical office one day, Larkin wrote. But never pope. This man was Polish, and the Vatican had been occupied by Italians for 425 years.

``Guess he proved me wrong,'' says Larkin, the bishop emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg.

In 1978, in a vote that surprised many, Wojtyla made history with his election as the church's first Polish pope.

As millions around the world mourn the death of Pope John Paul II, Larkin, 82, and Bishop Robert Lynch, 64, who leads the Bay area's 399,000 Catholics, treasure their own personal memories of a man who made a lasting impression on their lives.

Larkin's recollections stretch back more than a half- century; Lynch's are more recent. Before he became bishop, Lynch organized four papal visits to the United States: in 1979, 1987, 1993 for World Youth Day and 1995. During the six years he spent as general secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, beginning in 1989, Lynch dined at the pope's table and met with him two to three times a year on conference business.

A Constant Spirituality

Lynch recalls his first impression of the 58-year-old pope in 1979 - vigorous, a ramrod straight posture, a strong personality, a milky white complexion and a quick wit. After the 1981 assassination attempt on the pope, the once-sturdy athlete visibly changed. His physical condition worsened after Parkinson's disease was diagnosed.

What never changed, Lynch says, was the pope's constant spiritual presence and deep devotion to prayer.

``It was almost eerie, as if he was a mystic. When he prayed, it was at a level that transcended everything around him,'' Lynch recalls. ``And he would do it at every opportunity he had.''

When asked to name the pope's three most important contributions, Lynch doesn't hesitate. He says John Paul II, history's most-traveled pontiff, took the papacy out of the confines of Rome and brought it ``to the people'' all around the world.

``He brought the gospel like his namesake, St. Paul, did - to the farthest corners of the world,'' the bishop says. The pope also was a moral voice in the geopolitical sphere, starting with the growth of solidarity in his native Poland and his fearless way of tweaking governments accused of human rights violations.

Lastly, Lynch says, the pope brought clarity to the teachings of the church through catechism, his encyclicals and other initiatives. Sometimes, it was at the expense of his popularity.

``If you take a matter like the ordination of women, he's made it clear that he doesn't think he or his successors have the right to change this discipline,'' Lynch says. ``I'm hopeful people will see ... we are a universal church and we need a universal pastor, and we must listen to that pastor with a certain amount of humility and sometimes even tough obedience.''

When The Pope Calls, You Go

Larkin remembers a young, eager-to-learn student. One of his favorite memories is from college, when he was helping his friend learn English. When you greet Americans, Larkin told him, the common phrase is ``Go to hell!'' Wojtyla learned the phrase - and used it.

Years later, a contrite Larkin asked the newly elected pope whether he remembered that long ago English lesson.

``Yes, I do, and I knew then you were pulling my leg,'' the pope answered.

Shortly after John Paul II's election, he invited his 22 classmates back to the Vatican for a reunion. When Larkin got the invitation, he declined because he had just become the diocese administrator and his schedule was jammed.

A second wire arrived nearly immediately.

``It was made pretty clear that when the pope invites you, you come,'' Larkin says.

That dinner with his fellow seminarians took place on his 57th birthday.

``No birthday since has ever been as exciting,'' Larkin says. The men spent the evening reminiscing about their school days.

``I told the Holy Father that evening if I had realized where he was going to end up, I would have treated him better,'' Larkin says and smiles. Then the pope confided to Larkin it was just as much a surprise to him. He admitted buying a round-trip ticket from Krakow to attend the election.

Indeed, his name hadn't even been mentioned as a possible successor to Pope John Paul I, who died after 39 days in office. Larkin remembers how the pope responded once when asked how he felt about being chosen to lead the world's 1 billion Catholics.

``He said, `I felt the choice resulted from the work of the Holy Spirit. I know the Holy Spirit will give me the strength and courage to carry it out,' '' Larkin says. ``I think that's typical of his whole life. He trusted completely in God, no matter what problems he had.''

That spirit helped the pope not only survive communism but overcome it, Lynch says. Although he could not overcome Parkinson's, he did not let the disease imprison him in his final years. He continued to travel and celebrate Mass.

``Grieve him. Mourn him,'' Lynch says. ``But give thanks to God we had him for so many years.''

Reporter Michelle Bearden can be reached at (813) 259-7613.