Pope John Paul II

Born Karol Josef Wojtyla

May 18, 1920

Ordained a Priest November 1, 1946

Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow July 4, 1958

Nominated Archbishop of Krakow January 13, 1964

Created Cardinal June 26, 1967

Elected Pope October 16, 1978

Died April 2, 2005

Almighty and everlasting God,

who by the grace of the Holy Spirit

elevated your servant Pope John Paul II

to lead and guide your Church into the third millennium,

grant that by that same Holy Spirit

we may enjoy forever his prayers and patronage,

through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Make no mistake about it, Karol Joyck Wojtkyla or John Paul II, as he chose to be called, was the greatest person to have lived in our lifetime. It is no surprise that two million people journeyed to Rome to view his remains and attend his funeral.

Although there are points of doctrine about which Protestants disagreed with the Polish Pontiff, they have always been proud to call him the spokesperson of Christendom and their spiritual “papa.”

The accomplishments of John Paul II’s pontificate are legion:

He traveled over 775,000 miles to 129 countries. (Who can forget how he kissed the ground, moved about in his “pope mobile,” and presided over open-air-masses that invigorated millions of believers”

 He did more to tear down the “Communist Iron Curtain” than any other person. (Who can forget his visit to his native land early in his papacy, and how he stood with Lech Walesa and the Polish “solidarity” workers)

 He dramatically improved ecumenical relationships with the leaders of other religions. (Who can forget his meeting with Yasir Arafat or his apology to the Jews?)

He was an example to all of us about how to face suffering. (Who

can forget how he forgave his Turkish assassin, and how he dealt with colon cancer and Parkinson’s disease?) But John Paul II’s greatest legacy is that he modeled for us what it means to be a Christian leader.

He was brilliant. Let’s face it; there is no substitute for gray matter. He was a renaissance man – a poet, a playwright, an actor, a debater, a singer and an athlete. He spoke seven languages fluently, and was skilled in a dozen more. He earned two doctorates, and wrote 11 best sellers and numerous encyclicals.

 He was a person of integrity. Being smart is dangerous unless you are a good person. He was an authentic Christian. His devotion to Christ and Mary was real. He was honest, integrated and self-disciplined. There was an inner consistency about him. He was what he appeared to be.

 He saw himself as a humble servant. He did not think of himself as being above anyone. He thought of himself as a servant of Christ and other people, regardless of race, creed or ethnicity.

 He was a visionary. He carried in his heart the dream of a church that was faithful to the past and yet inviting and just. And he labored tirelessly to make the vision a reality.

He was a consummate communicator. He spoke with passion, sincerity and simplicity, and there was a sense of presence about him. He inspired people, especially young people, to believe they could play an important role in the church’s future. And he was courageous. He remained firm in his beliefs, but always had a smile on his face as he did.

He was truly a great man.

By Gracie Guillotte

Franklin, Louisiana

Our world has just gone through one of the greatest losses we could ever experience in the recent death of our beloved Pope John Paul II. I, for one, will be eternally grateful that he was chosen to be the leader of the Catholic faith for 26 years. Little did I know the impact his life would have not only on me, but millions of others as I watched when he was selected as Pope in 1978. Just 3 short years later in 1981, an attempt was made on his life by an assassin that would make the faithful fear for his life during the rest of his pontificate. The world would watch as the Pope lovingly and gently forgave his assassin just as the father forgave his “prodigal son” in Scripture. Our pope was leading by example and so we learned forgiveness in a profound and spiritual way. Yet, despite this daring attempt, the pope continued to go to the far ends of the earth to bring and share his love of Christ to the people. He touched the hearts of the young, old, rich and poor. He was always reaching out to others no matter how near or how far. His love knew no boundaries. Lesson number two, courage and faithfulness. “Be not afraid” he told the people and his words would give us courage and determination to prevail no matter what the circumstances even helping his people to bring down communism with President Reagan in his native land of Poland without any violence. Though there were those who disagreed with his belief system and teachings, he was extremely respected by many people for his attempts to bring unity and at times, to make amends when necessary. How evident this was during the televised funeral with millions of people coming from all over the world. He was a strong leader and yet possessed the gentleness of a loving shepherd for his flock just as Christ did.

At times, his decisions to continue to lead the church in a pro-life position among other issues, led to criticism by some for refusing to change his ideology with the modern times, but in an age when change can sometimes bring destruction to the soul, he stayed the course. What comfort there is in stability and consistency. As time will tell, he was right to lead in this way.

This successor to Peter has shown the world the way to live, the way to suffer and the way to die. There are some that felt he should not have been so public with his condition and its disabilities...that he should have “retired” and kept out of sight, but he  refused to give up and he served until the very end even when it was apparent of the great pain he was in. He silently, willingly and bravely suffered in full view of the whole world with all of its debilitating stages, to show us that we can still have dignity and that life should be valued in spite of the unkindness of illnesses and diseases. . What great courage and humility he possessed. 

If I had only one word to describe the Pope, it would be love. The

love of Christ was truly evident in this man and just being in his presence made you want to weep. I recently had the privilege before his death, by the grace of God, to see him at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and my heart was touched beyond words. I will be forever changed by his life and his death. I feel so very privileged to have been under the leadership and guidance of this great man. I want to express my deepest gratitude for all the fruit that his life has and will bring forth for generations to come.

Thank You, John Paul the Great, for all you have done to make this world a greater place and for bringing your beautiful love to so many people and for inspiring us to want to imitate Christ as you did. Thank you for making me proud to be a faithful Catholic. You will be greatly missed but we rejoice for your eternal happiness and celebrate your life and leadership.

PONDERING SPECIAL MOMENTS WITH A “SAINT”

By Father Michael Russo

            I met Pope John Paul II for the first time at a Christmas Midnight Mass in 1985. I was a seminarian in Louvain, Belgium, and had traveled to Rome with my classmates for Christmas. The highlight of the trip was receiving Holy Communion from the Pope at the Midnight Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. I remember being struck by the Pope’s piercing and loving eyes, his radian complexion, and his height. He was much shorter than I had imagined him to be. Little did I know that, twenty years later, my last encounter with the Pope would be exactly as my first, receiving Holy Communion from his hands. Being in Rome at the end of the Pope’s life was a tremendous grace for me. I will always remain thankful to Divine Providence for such a privilege.

1985 Christmas Midnight Mass	1986 First Meeting in Apostolic Palace	1989 Serving the Easter Vigil
A chat before the Easter Vigil Mass with other American seminarians	Discussing Father's approaching ordination	Ordination - May 28, 1989
Kiss of Peace at Ordination Mass	The Pope congratulates the newly ordained Father Russo	1997 Private Audience
Another private audience	Last private audience during sabbatical in 2004	In the Pope's private chapel with dad and nephew
A final encounter - Christmas Midnight Mass 2004