Pope John Paul II, 18 May 1920 -- 2 April 2005

Genevieve Stamper is the Associate Publisher of MaximsNews Network.  She is a writer and editor who lives in New York City and had lived in Rome for three years.

GenevieveStamper@MaximsNews.com

        UNITED NATIONS -  3 April 2005  www.MaximsNews.com / -- My old neighbor has passed.  On Saturday at 9:27 pm, Rome time, the Pontiff John Paul II moved on to the next stage in the life of his soul.  

I mourn his loss not as a Catholic but as a Roman.  

For nearly three years I lived and worked in and around the Vatican City. On Wednesdays, I would walk down to the piazza of St. Peter’s to listen to his weekly audience. On Sundays, I would listen to the papal blessing. 

When John Paul waved to the crowds, I was among the thousands of people who waved back. 

Through these experiences, I got to know an older man, one addled by disease and struggling to perform his duties. Now, as the television commentary rolls on, I’m shocked by the footage of the younger Karol Wojtyla.  

The media-savvy, superstar pope seems so different from the pope I knew. Yet throughout the last few years, the quality of his leadership never diminished.  

My most striking memory of this leadership came in February of 2003. At that time, the United States was preparing for war.  

No statement from the United Nations or from Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix was going to dissuade the hawks in Washington from pursuing their course.  

In Europe and across the globe, millions of people took to the streets to protest American military action.  The message from the Vatican was a strong warning to avoid human tragedy.  

Early in 2003, John Paul II issued a statement to the Vatican diplomatic corps stating, “War is never just another means that one can choose to employ for settling differences between nations.” He went on to defend the international community.  

         “As the Charter of the United Nations organization and international law itself remind us, war cannot be decided upon, even when it is a matter of ensuring the common good, except as the very last option and in accordance with very strict conditions, without ignoring the consequences for the civilian population both during and after the military operations.” 

         That February, John Paul II repeated this message to the crowds from the steps of St. Peter’s. He spoke out for peace with a renewed vigor.  His voice was clear and strong. The young Karol Wojtyla, the activist in defending human life, showed through.  

The change in his appearance was so radical that rumors spread he was taking new medication for Parkinson’s disease.  Many, including myself, felt the pope derived his strength from the significance of his anti-war message.  

Sadly, the war in Iraq progressed, and the health of the pope continued to fail.  The papal audiences in February of 2003 were the last opportunities I had to see John Paul II speaking with full strength.   

Now that John Paul II has passed on, we must remember his commitment to peace and to defending human life.  This pope believed in the importance of organizations like the United Nations in preserving justice and saving lives. Hopefully, the strength of his message for peace will live on.     

     GenevieveStamper@MaximsNews.com