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Tavis: I honestly don't know at this point what I can say about the life and legacy of Pope John Paul II that hasn't already been said. What I do know and firmly believe is that life isn't so much made up of the breaths that we take, but of the moments that take our breath away. In September of 2000, I shared a moment with Pope John Paul II that completely took my breath away, a moment that I will forever treasure.

Along with U2 frontman Bono, legendary music producer Quincy Jones, Live Aid creator Bob Geldof, TransAfrica founder Randall Robinson, and a few others, I traveled to Italy to meet the pontiff for a conversation about debt relief for the world's poorest nations. Our group, Jubilee 2000 had been granted a meeting with the pope to seek his support for a plan to get the world's industrialized nations to forgive much of the debt of the world's poorest nations so that they might, at the turn of the century, be able to turn the tide against the social ills within their own borders by reinvesting that money to better serve their own people. During our meeting with the pope, two things happened that I'll never forget.

First, just prior to the start of the meeting, the Vatican did for me what I was told they would not do. They actually allowed me to bring my television crew into the meeting to record some of our conversation with the pontiff. Now, as you know, the pope didn't sit for interviews, and so I immediately knew what this moment represented. I lost my mind and went running through the halls back outside to find my crew and escort them inside.

Secondly, at the close of our meeting as each of us stepped up to greet the Pope and receive these blessed rosary beads, Bono took off his trademark glasses and gave them to the pope as a gift. The pope took the glasses, put them on, and gave the thumbs-up sign, and shook his head. We, of course, were bursting at the seams with laughter, and I had it all on film until, as we prepared to exit the building, the Vatican, for obvious reasons, asked me to kindly erase that moment on my tape. Of course, we had to do so.

But what a moment it was for me, and I thought of that meeting often over the difficult days of his transition. As was consistent with Pope John Paul II's commitment to the poor, those who were socially, politically, and economically disenfranchised, following our meeting, the pope released a statement strongly supporting our efforts. As a result, his endorsement allowed Jubilee 2000 to successfully convince nations around the world, including the United States, to forgive billions of dollars of debt to help the people he courageously and consistently advocated for around the globe, the least among us.

Make no mistake about it. Pope John Paul II's successes make him a hard act to follow. But that's the way it ought to be. Each of us should live our lives not just because, but for a cause. And in so doing, recognize that there is a distinct difference between greatness and success. It seems to me that one can be successful without being great, but one cannot be great without being successful. The life of Pope John Paul II should serve to remind each of us that any of us can be great because each of us can serve. All it takes is a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.

That's our show for tonight. I'll see you back here next time on PBS. Until then, good night from Los Angeles. Thanks for watching and keep the faith.