[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 82 (Tuesday, June 15, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM FOR POPE JOHN PAUL II

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RAHM EMANUEL

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 15, 2004

  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support and recognize the 
President's awarding of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Pope John 
Paul II. Few others in the history of the world can match John Paul 
II's lifelong record of championing peace, liberty, and human rights.
  Born in 1920 in Poland, Karol Jozef Wojtyla has lived a life of 
service to his faith and to the people of the world. During the 
occupation of Poland, he courageously defied the Nazis to aid the 
persecuted Polish Jews, and similar acts of bravery have marked his 
entire public life. After his ordination in 1946, John Paul II worked 
tirelessly to uphold the teachings and ministry of the church in 
Poland, a constant risk under the Communist rule.
  Recognizing his lifelong devotion to his faith and to humanity, the 
College of Cardinals elected John Paul II the 264th pope in 1978. Last 
year I was proud to join with my colleagues in voting for a resolution 
recognizing the twenty-fifth anniversary of his papacy.
  During John Paul II's first visit to Poland as the Pope in l979, he 
delivered 36 addresses. At least ten million of Poland's 35 million 
people saw him in person, in the nine cities, villages and shrines that 
he visited.
  Throughout his papacy, John Paul II has joined world leaders on a 
variety of causes, always keeping the ideals of human dignity and high 
public morality at the forefront. His efforts on behalf of the people 
of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union were a direct catalyst in 
the birth of democracy for those countries once behind the Iron 
Curtain.
  Beyond his extraordinary achievements, John Paul II has always had a 
remarkable affinity with the common man. He once said, ``I hope to have 
communion with the people; that is the important thing.'' Time and 
again, he has communed with the people, demonstrating his commitment to 
humanity on a genuinely personal level. Through his caring and selfless 
acts of faith and leadership, he has engendered the love and respect of 
millions of people, both those within his church and those from beyond 
the Catholic faith.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents, including 131,000 
Catholics and 112,000 Polish Americans in the Fifth Congressional 
District of Illinois, I am proud to congratulate Pope John Paul II for 
receiving the Medal of Freedom. It is a fitting tribute to a truly 
remarkable human being whose countless achievements have proved an 
unyielding dedication to his Church, to God, and to humanity.

                          ____________________