Thank you very much for this article. Alhumdulilah. I am a recent convert to Islam from Roman Catholicism; the reasons for my conversion (or reversion, rather) were never due to a negative view of the Pope nor his religion. Pope John Paul II spoke highly of Muslims, and praised us for our piety and devotion (he used those words specifically, in fact). He kissed the Quran, and was the first Pope to visit a masjid. He spoke out against the American wars in Iraq (both times) and Afghanistan, spoke out against the Wall in Israel and the oppression that the Palestinians suffer. He avoided the perils of moral relativism and held strong to values that we as Muslims would agree with.
For my own part, I remember when a Catholic priest I knew found out I took shahada; he didn't condemn it, but instead said that Catholicism and Islam were, in fact, very similar. I agree with him, and for this very reason I believe that it is imperative that we maintain an open and inclusive dialogue with the Roman Catholics. I believe that before the Last Day, many of them will, in fact join us, especially when they see just how similar we are and understand our differences (given an option, more than you might think would revert, in my opinion)for what they are.
My brothers and sisters, let us pray for the Pope, though not a Muslim, he was a dhimmi, a person of the book and a very good one indeed. Let us pray that, Inshallah, the new Pope will carry on in his predecessor's footsteps, let us pray, Inshallah, that Allah Subhana Wa Ta Ala will lift the veil from the eyes of the Catholics and they will join us in worship of the one true God.