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April
8, 2005
Remembering
Pope John Paul II By
Pope John Paul II was
one of the most influential figures of the modern era.
Like President Ronald
Reagan, John Paul II was given credit by many in the wake of his passing
for the fall of communism. It’s
a shame that most people did not realize his critical role before his
death. Basically, He provided
the spiritual impetus for the fall of communism.
Wall Street Journal columnist and former Presidential speechwriter
Peggy Noonan recalls a memo sent by the communist government in The
pope is our enemy… Due to his uncommon skills and great sense of humor
he is dangerous, because he charms everyone, especially journalists.
Besides, he goes for cheap gestures in his relations with the crowd, for
instance, puts on a highlander's hat, shakes all hands, kisses children. . . .
It is modeled on American presidential campaigns. . . Because
of the activation of the Church in It’s funny that in
trying to hide the truth, the communists had to admit it first.
This short excerpt from that directive tells a lot about the way in
which Pope John Paul II impacted people and challenged human tyranny. His was a life about
things far greater than the fall of communism.
One lesson that impressed me about his life was how he interacted
with leaders of other faiths. As
he reached out to the Orthodox Church, Islamic and Jewish leaders, he
consistently reaffirmed the truth of his Christian faith.
This is a line not easily walked: loving people with whom you
disagree, while holding fast to your own convictions.
I will remember this lesson as I meet with people from here and
around the world. John Paul II also acted
as the conscience of a world struggling through severe growing pains. In
his view, true freedom can only exist within the confines of a moral
framework. In pointing this
out, John Paul II shed light on the paradox of free societies – in order
to be truly free, a citizen’s freedom must operate within the bounds of
moral constraints. This view joins that of
our Founders who believed that virtue and religious values within the rule
of law were the glue necessary to sustain a free society.
“Statesmen… may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is
religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which
freedom can securely stand,” our nation’s second President John Adams
once said. It’s a sentiment
that many of us here in the 16th District hold as well. Among the central values
of the Pope’s political and social framework was the dignity and
sanctity of human life in all its stages.
In addressing the violence of the 20th century he
observed that the loss of life and hope could best be attributed to a
distorted view of the value of human life and a misunderstanding of
freedom. It is this
fundamental view of human life that I believe should cause us to inspect
our nation’s laws and policies. As long as our nation
forgets that life is more precious than a choice, that the strong have an
obligation to protect the weak, and that our laws must always favor life
we will be doomed to repeat the mistakes that Pope John Paul II fought and
prayed so fervently to remedy. Pope John Paul II’s
legacy will be complicated and rich in spiritual insight, much like his
life. We may not have all
agreed with him on matters of theology, but most of us found something in
him to admire. As we remember him this
week, let us also rededicate ourselves to the view that the very freedoms
we enjoy rise and fall on how our culture treats human life in all its
stages. #
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