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The
Death of Pope John Paul II
Statement
of the U.N. Secretary-General
UNITED
NATIONS - / www.MaximsNews.com/
- 2 April 2005 - "I was deeply saddened by the death
of Pope John Paul II.
"Quite
apart from his role as a spiritual guide to more than a billion men,
women and children, he was a tireless advocate of peace, a true pioneer
in interfaith dialogue and a strong force for critical self-evaluation
by the Church itself. |
"I
had the privilege to meet him several times in recent years.
"I was always
struck by his commitment to having the United Nations become, as he said
during his address to the General Assembly in 1995, “a moral centre where
all the nations of the world feel at home and develop a shared awareness of
being, as it were, a `family of nations'”.
"I offer my
deepest condolences to Catholics and others around the world who were touched
by his life of prayer and lifelong dedication to nonviolence and peace."
-- Kofi Annan
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
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