Viva Il Papa!

Some tributes to Pope John Paul for his 25th anniversary.

From Eamon Duffy, A giant among popes, Oct. 18:

.... The election of a 58-year-old athlete and intellectual promised a renewal of vigour and direction. But everything about Wojtyla’s previous life should have made it clear that his direction was likely to run against the grain of much that passed for renewal in the wake of Vatican II. It was a period of flux and experimentation, when Blake’s motto “damn braces, bless relaxes” had a wide appeal. One need not share neo-conservative dismissals of those heady years as “the silly season” to recognise that a good deal that was ephemeral and shallow was taken at the time for the work of the Holy Spirit .

By contrast, Wojtyla was the product of a Slavic Christianity whose encounter with the twentieth century had been dominated by the conflict with Nazi and then with Stalinist oppression. From such a perspective, liberal Western Catholic enthusiasm for an accommodation with modernity was bound to seem naive and self-indulgent. For him religious freedom, a life-long and passionate preoccupation, did not mean the right to question ancient Christian truths, but the right to respond in obedience to those truths, unhindered by tyrannical governments. Freedom is the freedom to do right: what right is, is revealed for all to see in the face of Jesus Christ, and in the heart of human nature as made known in Christ. The Church’s teaching is thus for him never a constraint, but the criterion of authentic freedom, the “splendour of truth”. It is not to be questioned, but joyfully explored, the limits to that exploration to be determined by the pastors and especially the pope....

From George W. Bush, a Presidential Message, Oct. 16:

.... As a priest, chaplain, professor, Auxiliary Bishop, Archbishop, Cardinal, and Pope, His Holiness has spent a lifetime sharing God's teachings and ministering to those in need. He has put hope in people's hearts and inspired acts of goodness and compassion. For the past 25 years, His Holiness has led worldwide efforts to develop a new culture of life that values and protects the lives of innocent children waiting to be born. He has also brought the love of the Almighty to people of all ages, particularly those who suffer or live in poverty, or who are weak and vulnerable. Pope John Paul II has shown the world not only the splendor of truth, but also the power of truth to overcome evil and to redirect the course of history....

From Philip Jenkins, Pope transformed the world, Oct. 16:

.... When we try to summarize the achievements of Pope John Paul II, we might think of an anthem that was popular in an earlier era, with a title that summarized the revolutionary hopes of a world renewed and transformed: "The World Turned Upside Down." They played it when British forces surrendered at Yorktown in 1781. In more senses than one, John Paul has turned the world upside down.

From Glen A. Tobias, ADL National Chairman, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, Statement on the 25th Anniversary of Pope John Paul II's Papacy, Oct. 15:

.... Jews throughout the world are deeply grateful to the Pope. He has defended the Jewish people at all times, as a priest in his native Poland and during his pontificate. John Paul has denounced anti-Semitism as a "sin against God and humanity," called upon all Christians to avoid any anti-Jewish interpretation of scriptures, and recommended caution in preaching and teaching....

From Uwe Siemon-Netto, Everybody's pope, Oct. 15:

.... I am sure I am reflecting the views of many Protestants. Who else but John Paul II gave voice to my faith and my values in 117 countries? Who else posited personal holiness and theological clarity against postmodern self-deception and egotism? Who else preached the Gospel as tirelessly as this man?

What other clergyman played any comparable role in bringing down communism, a godless system? Has there been a more powerful defender of the sanctity of life than this Pole in whose pontificate nearly 40 million unborn babies wound up in trashcans and furnaces in the United States alone? What more fitting insight than John Paul's definition of our culture as a culture of death?

In Europe some time ago, an absurd debate occurred in the Protestant churches: Should John Paul II be considered as the world's spokesman for all of Christianity? This was an absurd question. Of course he spoke for all believers, and of course he still does. Who else is there?...

From Maggie Gallagher, John Paul II Marks Anniversary With Insightful Look At Faith, Oct. 14:

.... John Paul II's most astonishing achievement is a re-imagining of the intellectual basis of the Catholic faith, in creating a genuinely new synthesis between faith and reason that is attracting adherents among thoughtful people across denominations and faith. With a single phrase, "the nuptial meaning of the human body," he has thrown a persuasive light on traditional Christian (and Jewish) sexual teachings. Plumbing the depths of the subjectivity of the human being, John Paul II has pointed out, opens a new path to respect for human rights, including the right to religious freedom....

From George Weigel, Pope John Paul II: Pastor to the World:

.... John Paul II's conduct of the papacy, however surprising it has been to some, is based on a firmly held set of convictions. Bishops, he believes, are primarily evangelists and teachers, not managers. That was the way he had been the archbishop of Kraków, and that is how he thought he should be the Bishop of Rome. In doing so, John Paul II, 263rd successor to St. Peter, has brought the papacy into the 21st century by retrieving the first-century model of the Office of Peter in the Church. In the New Testament, Peter is not the chief executive officer of a small niche company, "Christianity, Inc." Peter is a witness, an evangelist, a pastor, the center of the Church's unity. John Paul II has revitalized that ancient concept of the Office of Peter for the third millennium, using all the instruments of the communications and transportation revolutions to bring Peter to the world....

Thanks to fellow bloggers for these. I would have blogged most of them last night but for webhost/webserver problems: see also little green footballs and OCT 16 2003 - DOS attack.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Fri. 10/17/03 07:42:30 AM
Categorized as Pope John Paul the Great & Religious.