Remembering Pope John Paul II
As the thoughts, prayers, and memories of Pope John Paul II stream throughout the world, it is good to pause for a moment to reflect upon what this man's life has meant to youth and young adults throughout the world. Without a doubt millions of us gravitated toward John Paul because of the strength of his character: his ability to joke, embrace, and celebrate with people of every culture, every religion, and every age. Television channels covering John Paul's legacy convey images of a pope with a smile, a pope who stops to embrace the youth, a pope who sits and prays with those who suffer. Such images remind us that Pope John Paul had a remarkable presence as a pastor to women and men, young and old, rich and poor alike. Like Jesus, John Paul embodied the boundless love of God, that sort of love that invited us to live lives of compassion.
As with all who make a lasting impact on society, John Paul's life was both profound and many-sided. He was an individual willing to delve into the heart of the modern world, replete with conflict and strife, and attempt to build peace. Certainly our understanding of reconciliation was transformed upon learning that John Paul met with Mehmet Ali Agca--the man who tried to assassinate the Pope--to converse and extend an offer of forgiveness. One thinks of the images of John Paul meeting survivors of the Holocaust, praying with religious leaders in Assisi, and hosting conversations with political leaders of every stripe: Fidel Castro, Ronald Reagan, and Yasser Arafat to mention three. Echoing the motto of the founder of the Methodist Movement, John Wesley, John Paul structured his life as if his parish were the whole world, bringing heartfelt concern to the pressing issues of our day.
Over and above each of these memories, most of us were drawn more deeply into the life of the Roman Catholic Church through World Youth Day. Begun in 1986 to lend weight to the Vatican II document "Declaration on Christian Education," John Paul wanted to provide a forum that would empower Catholic Christian youth around the globe. The Declaration on Christian Education encourages such gatherings to enliven "the ability to rejoice with what is beginning, to give oneself unreservedly, to renew oneself and to set out again for new conquests."
Toward this end the very first World Youth Day focused attention on the biblical injunction to "always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15), a text that many offer as the Church's mission statement for this century. This gathering set the stage for what would follow: festival-like gatherings where the Holy Father reminded those assembled that, though wealth, power, and prestige appear alluring, God has called us to something altogether different. In the Philippines the Holy Father reminded us that, "Jesus wants to enter into dialogue and, through his body which is the Church, to propose the possibility of a choice which will require a commitment of [our] lives."
Perhaps these words put in a nutshell what we found most appealing about John Paul II. Christianity, seen through the word and witness of John Paul, is more than rules, creeds, and candles. Christianity is a concrete lifestyle, a way of being in the world, of bringing love to the unloved, of honoring oneself, one another, and the environment.
As he reminded us in Denver, "Christ needs you to enlighten the world and to show it 'the path to life' (Ps 16)...Place your intelligence, your talents, your enthusiasm, your compassion, and your fortitude at the service of life." Pope John Paul II shepherded us, worshipped with us, and sent us out to live as witnesses to Jesus' resurrection: the hope that is in us.
