Remembering a Remarkable Pope
Today is the first anniversary of the passing of Karol Jozef Wojtyla, better known as Pope John Paul II, although by now it is already Monday morning at the Vatican. Although there were certainly many people that disagreed with some of his policies and that of the Roman Catholic Church (including Catholics), he was widely respected and admired; no one could doubt his spirit.
Throughout his long papacy and even before then, John Paul II challenged great injustices through the world. He was a beacon of freedom against Soviet domination in Eastern Europe, including in his native Poland. He tried very hard to build closer relationships to Jews and Muslims, cutting through the rhetoric and taking the Church in new directions. He toured the world to bring the Vatican closer to millions of people and encouraged faith.
Hopefully, for this time, people could come together and continue the spirit of this remarkable person. And hopefully that would be a springboard towards more peace. We can honor John Paul II on this day and on many days in the future; after all, he is worthy to be canonized and become a saint. But we should honor his spirit and devotion every day.
There will be disagreements, of course, between people as there were between many people and John Paul II. There will be many battles ahead, as there are today. However, for many of these disagreements, of politics, of policy, of money, and of many other things, there are civil ways to resolve them. There can be an end to the "solutions" pushed by some people, from local matters to international conflicts, that result in pain, bloodshed, and loss, if everyone is willing to attempt to try civil and peaceful means first.
That is the message John Paul II delivered. He told us that we can accomplish this through faith, in God and in each other. As difficult as it will be, it can be done. Through this message is the path to freedom. John Paul II helped to deliver that freedom to millions.
It will not be perfectly peaceful. There will be times when that path will require a battle that must be won by all means necessary. Any person with any basic knowledge at all can cite times when such a fight was necessary. But that does not mean we cannot try to build a better world for our everyday lives.
Let's honor John Paul II and his extraordinary spirit today and every day.
Cameraphone picture taken from the M9 bus on East Houston Street near Avenue B in Manhattan.
More on Pope John Paul II can be found here.
Throughout his long papacy and even before then, John Paul II challenged great injustices through the world. He was a beacon of freedom against Soviet domination in Eastern Europe, including in his native Poland. He tried very hard to build closer relationships to Jews and Muslims, cutting through the rhetoric and taking the Church in new directions. He toured the world to bring the Vatican closer to millions of people and encouraged faith.
Hopefully, for this time, people could come together and continue the spirit of this remarkable person. And hopefully that would be a springboard towards more peace. We can honor John Paul II on this day and on many days in the future; after all, he is worthy to be canonized and become a saint. But we should honor his spirit and devotion every day.
There will be disagreements, of course, between people as there were between many people and John Paul II. There will be many battles ahead, as there are today. However, for many of these disagreements, of politics, of policy, of money, and of many other things, there are civil ways to resolve them. There can be an end to the "solutions" pushed by some people, from local matters to international conflicts, that result in pain, bloodshed, and loss, if everyone is willing to attempt to try civil and peaceful means first.
That is the message John Paul II delivered. He told us that we can accomplish this through faith, in God and in each other. As difficult as it will be, it can be done. Through this message is the path to freedom. John Paul II helped to deliver that freedom to millions.
It will not be perfectly peaceful. There will be times when that path will require a battle that must be won by all means necessary. Any person with any basic knowledge at all can cite times when such a fight was necessary. But that does not mean we cannot try to build a better world for our everyday lives.
Let's honor John Paul II and his extraordinary spirit today and every day.
Cameraphone picture taken from the M9 bus on East Houston Street near Avenue B in Manhattan.
More on Pope John Paul II can be found here.
posted by Will at 11:58 PM
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