Saint John Paul II

"Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence." ___Pope John Paul II. ~~~~~ Tomorrow, 27 April 2014, John Paul II will be recognized as a saint at a canonization mass led by Pope Francis at St.Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. He will become Saint John Paul II. ~~~~~ John Paul was one of the most important leaders of the 20th century. He is recognised as helping to end Communist rule in his native Poland and in all of Europe, as part of the Reagan-Thatcher John Paul triumverate. From the moment of his nine-day trip to Poland soon after his election as Pope, there was the sense that his presence and determination would make Solidarity victorious. John Paul II significantly improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. He upheld the Church's teachings against artificial contraception, capital punishment and euthanasia, calling them part of the "culture of death." He supported the Church's Second Vatican Council and its reform, and, as Pope, was reponsible for the implementation of the "modernizing" agenda of Vatican II, while maintaining conservative Catholic stances against the ordination of women, the marriage of priests and Liberation Theology. John Paul II was the first Pope to : visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem, travel to Greek Catholic and Russian Orthodox countries, visit England and begin rapprochement with the Anglican Communion, call Ruanda a genocide, and much more. ~~~~~ But, it was not for any of these reasons that at his death, after years of physical suffering, he was mourned in St. Peter's Square, filled with people waving banners and calling out "Santo subito" - "Make him a saint now." For the world had long since realized that the Polish Pope was a saint. Feel those words -- "Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you..." We knew John Paul was always there beside us, bearing our weaknesses, praying for our success, bringing our children back to faith, helping eliminate the political terrors that had invaded large parts of our world, reminding us of the sacred quality of life. In short, telling us not to be afraid, but to do our best - because he was there to protect us. Thus, at his death, many of us, myself included, instantly began a dialogue with his soul, asking him to stay with us and help us and our world, which was his world, too. And so tomorrow, we children of this dangerous, viciously divided, inhumane and leaderless world will have our Pope back as a Saint. There he will remain, for us and our children and their children forever. The world just became a little more human, a little less frightening.