Henry Kissinger says "This may be one of the greatest men of the century - maybe the greatest." I don't know very much about the life of Pope John Paul II, but what I do know makes me to agree.
Here is a man who came out of Poland, deep within the totalitarian dictatorship of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. A man who spoke multiple languages, a great athelete, a charismatic and deeply caring man. While Pope, he is widly hailed as being an instrumental force for the defeat of communism and liberation of the eastern bloc. A humanitarian, he pushed for hman rights throughout the world, extneding the reach and good work of the church into Africa, Asia, Latin America and across the world. Here was a man who beleived in God's Work, and had the power, faith and perserverance to make it so. A champion for democracy and freedom, he preached to dictators, presidents, prime ministers alike, and did not hesitate to bring any leader to task for failures of conscience or absence of action. He travelled to Cuba, Mexico, Africa, Canada, India, Asia, Austrialia, and North America. He criss-crossed the globe bringing his message of peace, and using the powers of his words alone to bring comfort to many.
And yet this Pope leaves behind a troubled legacy of conservatism and disenfranchisement within the faith. Issues of birth control and contraception hound the church and make many question the wisdom of following his teachings. Reports indicate nearly 70% of the catholic faith do not agree with the Pope's teachings on this subject. His stance against the use of condoms through Africa has contributed to the spread of AIDS and other infectious diseases. His conservative views towards the place of women in the faith puzzled many, and caused a great deal of questioning towards the catholic viewpoint, particularly among the western nations. Questions pertaining to ordaining women, and dealing with the legacy of sexual abuse within the church will be issues that the Church must deal with. Across North America, once vibrant churches now drift alone and outside the centre of the community, the church having lost connection with its membership. Has this been due to a loss of faith, and a wave of secularism? Or is this a reaction against a conservative interpretation of God's will?
Whether the trials of the Catholic Church are the Pope's doing, whether through actions or through avoidance, there can be no doubt that his rule has been one of overwhelming good across this earth, and to all the human family. His message of religious tolerance, of curious inquiry and of shared companionship in faith is one that we would all well heed, and his spirit is one that will resonate long after his passing. He was a man of God, a man of faith, a man of passion, and a man of love. He was not perfect, he made mistakes, but he stayed true to his principles and true to the core of his being.
He was a man. He was a Great Man. And we shall miss him.
