JP 2, We Love You!

Twenty years ago this month, God called Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) home to Heaven.   Karol’s life was an extraordinary life of service to God, Church and humanity and his 26  year pontificate was one of the most significant in modern times.  He is one of the most influential figures in the development of my Catholic faith.

 
Karol Wojtyla was born in Poland on 18 May 1920.  His mother and older brother both passed away when he was still young.  His father died early in Karol’s adulthood.  Karol answered God’s calling to the priesthood whilst Poland was in the grips of an evil occupation by Nazi Germany.  In 1944-5, Poland was freed from the Nazis but subjugated by atheistic Soviet Communism.  As a priest and intellectual, Karol inspired the faithful, especially young people. Despite Communist oppression, he steadily rose through the hierarchy of the Polish Church, being appointed an Auxiliary Bishop, then an Archbishop and a Cardinal.  He was key participant in the Vatican II Conference.  Ultimately he was chosen to become Pope in October 1978.  

 
On 22 October 1978, he was officially inaugurated as Pope, the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years.  In his Homily for his inaugural Mass, Pope John Paul II said:

"Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power. Help the Pope and all those who wish to serve Christ and with Christ's power to serve the human person and the whole of mankind. Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of States, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization and development. Do not be afraid. Christ knows "what is in man". He alone knows it."

(See https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1978/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19781022_inizio-pontificato.html  )

“Be not afraid!”  would become a recurring theme throughout his papacy.  Pope John Paul II became known for his widespread travels of evangelization, his ardent defense of life, his fervent opposition to Communism, especially in his native Poland, his deep devotion to Our Blessed Mother, his connection to and love for young people, and his stewardship of traditional Catholic faith.  

 
Barely three years into his papacy, Pope John Paul II was shot by a would-be assassin while greeting crowds of people in St. Peter’s Square on 13 May 1981.  His narrow avoidance of death is rightly attributable to the direct intervention of Our Lady of Fatima, a fact that he acknowledged in various ways, including by visiting Fatima the following year.

 
As Pope, John Paul II was responsible for many important accomplishments in the Church and the world at large.  Pope John Paul II played an important role in the fall of Communism in Poland and in Eastern Europe in 1989.  He added the Luminous Mysteries to the Holy Rosary.  He canonized a Polish nun Faustina Kowalska and was an energetic promoter of the Divine Mercy devotion which had been given to her by Jesus through a series of appearances.  He added Divine Mercy Sunday to the Liturgical Calendar.  He promulgated a new Code of Canon Law and an updated Catechism of the Catholic Church.  He instituted World Youth Days, an international celebration of faith geared toward young people that is held periodically in different locations around the world. The 1993 World Youth Day was held in Colorado.   I had the privilege of attending two of them:  Paris 1997 and Rome 2000. 

 
Even to this day, Pope St. John Paul II is one of the major influences upon my Catholic faith.  His book Crossing the Threshold of Hope is second only to the Bible as the most important books I have ever read.   Crossing the Threshold of Hope dramatically changed my outlook on life and on the Catholic faith for the better.  

I was privileged to see Pope John Paul II on six occasions, including three Papal Masses.  In October 1995, I attended his Papal Mass at Giants Stadium in North Jersey.  Two years later, I attended World Youth Day in Paris and spent two days with him (along with a million other Catholics).  In August 2000, I attended my second World Youth Day, this time in Rome.  Lastly, I saw him at Papal Audience in St. Peter’s Square.  

 
After suffering for many years with various physical ailments, Pope John Paul II entered into eternity on 2 April 2005. 

On 8 April 2005, a funeral Mass was held for Pope John Paul II.  The Homily was offered by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger.  In his Homily, Cardinal Ratzinger said:

 
The love of Christ was the dominant force in the life of our beloved Holy Father. Anyone who ever saw him pray, who ever heard him preach, knows that. Thanks to his being profoundly rooted in Christ, he was able to bear a burden which transcends merely human abilities: that of being the shepherd of Christ's flock, his universal Church.

 (See https://www.vatican.va/gpII/documents/homily-card-ratzinger_20050408_en.html  )

 
Pope John Paul II was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on 1 May 2011 and canonized with Pope John XXIII by Pope Francis I on 27 April 2014.  

 
Today, that loyal son of Poland and Servant of the Servants of God resides in Heaven with the Thrice Holy God that he so faithfully served throughout his life and the Blessed Mother of God that he loved so dearly.  Pope Saint John Paul II, pray for us and for the Church.