At 1:37 PM CST on April 2nd, 2005, Pope John Paul II died in his apartment at the Vatican, Rome, Italy. Born Karol Wojtyla in the town of Wadowice, Poland in 1920. He was Pastor and Holy Father to over one billion people here on earth. He was also the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.His father was in the Polish Army. His mother died when he was 8. His father died 2 years after the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland. Karol went underground and studied at a secret seminary during Nazi occupation. He was ordained a priest in 1946 at the age of 26, and became Poland's youngest bishop 12 years later.
Pope John Paul II will be remembered for his travels. He went to every major country in the world with the exception of China and Russia. He was the first pope to visit the United States. His travels were equivalent to going around the world 30 times.
But foremost he will always be remembered for his hard stance against communism, and his endless promotion of freedom. Both the Pope and President Reagan (pictured right) are credited with orchestrating the demise of the former godless nation known as the Soviet Union. His beloved Poland, and their worker protests were instrumental in the downfall of yet another futile attempt at making socialism work in the form of the Soviet Union. These polish protests were the beginning of the end.Here is what I will remember about him:
- He saved the Catholic church. His liberal predecessors caused a mass exodus of Catholics to Protestant religions. This Pope stemmed the tide by reaffirming church doctrine on abortion, premarital sex, woman in the priesthood, and priests marrying.
- In a 1997 sermon he questioned a society who would "kill its own children."
- His concern about the American Catholics, known as "Cafeteria Catholics," because they choose and pick what they believe.
- In 2000 he went to Jerusalem and slipped a small note in one of the cracks of the western wall, imploring forgiveness for the persecution of Jews instigated by the Catholic church.
- His wish that the wealthy nations help out the poorer.
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The only negative that will hang over his papacy would be the child abuse cases placed upon homosexual priests. The pope could not say he didn't know because I knew and I'm not a Catholic. I worked in a Correctional Institution in the 80's and the 90's. All priests that I saw coming to the prison were openly, demonstratively homosexual. I have never heard John Paul II explain why he allowed them to become priests. We now know that homosexual activities were widespread in the Church.
(I call them homosexual priests because they are. The mainstream media refer to these priests as pedafiles. Of course they do not want to appear homophobic. Pedafiles, especially male pedafiles assault girls, young girls. They sexually assault them and very often kill them. The actions of the Catholic priests who fondled and sexually assaulted almost exclusively young boys were homosexuals trying to feed their demented sexual appetites.)
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I doubt that I will soon forget this pope, and here is why. His face. His face was the match that lit the fire of faith and love in people. I will remember the faces of the children when they saw him----and because of all his travels many did. It was a face that saw the death of his mother and brother while he was young. A face that saw German storm troopers stomp through his beloved Poland. A face that saw Poland fall under the enslavement of godless communism. A tear stained face who witnessed war he could not stop.
I will remember a very special moment. It occurred at a youth rally, in the year 2000, I think. In Toronto, Canada, I think. But what happened I am crystal clear.
The Pope was hunched in his chair. He was exhausted from the evening. He witnessed a day of Catholic Youth organizations singing, praying, and patiently listening.
He offered Mass, and all the rituals germane to this rally. He was tired. It was a very long day. But in an instant, his head rose and his eyes met the eyes of tens of thousands of young people in the crowd... smiling the Holy Father said in perfect English, "Well. What do we do now?" At the crowd roared approval of Their Pontiff.
Pope John Paul could not disconnect his heart from the hearts of those young people. It was obvious this Pope was energized by the youth. He never wanted that evening to end. It was a Miracle.
The 264th successor to St. Peter will one day be called "Pope John Paul II the Great."
(photos/AP)
