[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 36 (Monday, April 4, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3119-S3120]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING POPE JOHN PAUL II

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, around the world as we honor the passing 
of the Holy Father, we are filled with his spirit and we are inspired 
by his legacy of peace and compassion. We pray for him and we pray for 
one another sduring this time of grief and reflection.
  I first saw the Holy Father in Boston in 1979 as he touched American 
soil for the first time as Pope and reached out to the American people 
with his holy strength. Several hundred thousand rain-soaked men, 
women, and children gathered on the Boston Common to hear his homily 
that began with his extraordinary welcome, ``America the Beautiful, 
even if it rains!'' And through his eyes that was what we were: 
beautiful, free, and open to all possibilities.
  He greeted my family warmly on many occasions and blessed us for all 
our endeavors. On our visit to the Vatican in the 1980s, he welcomed my 
sister Jean's Very Special Arts program for the disabled in the arts 
and participated in a festival for 7,000 Italian children who were 
challenged physically. He told us that in God's eyes, we were all 
created equally, we all had creative gifts, and all of our talents were 
enlightened by God. On that occasion I presented him with a bust of 
President Kennedy, whom he spoke graciously about.
  In countless ways during his years as Pope, the Holy Father inspired 
people throughout the world and brought them together in peace and 
reconciliation. In his travels to distant lands, citizens of many 
different faiths were deeply moved by his appeals to the common 
humanity of all people under God. And in his final days, he inspired us 
all again with the surpassing grace and dignity with which he left us.
  I am struck by the words of one of the Pope's favorite passages that 
was read to him in his final hours, from Psalm 119:

       Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me 
     hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise 
     preserves my life.

  Pope John Paul II lives on in the hearts of all of us who were 
touched so deeply by his life. May his example continue to guide us and 
people everywhere in all the years ahead.
  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, on the evening of October 16, 1978, white 
smoke curled from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel signaling the 
election of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Poland. The crowds in St. Peter's 
Square roared with great enthusiasm, even before they knew of the 
extraordinary papacy he would lead for 26 years.
  As our Nation continues to grieve the loss of Pope John Paul II, we 
have spent much time looking back at his accomplishments--decisions and 
actions made within the walls of the Vatican and those he brought 
abroad through Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia.
  His steady beliefs and convictions helped inspire peace and human 
dignity throughout the world. He taught not just Catholics, but people 
of all religions, the power of faith, principles and courage. And he 
taught us to use this power to address the social and economic issues 
that we face each day with truth and morality.
  While people may disagree with his conclusions on specific issues, 
John Paul II's consistent efforts to promote the value of all people 
remained steadfast. He led by example, exposing overlooked areas of the 
developing world--those infested with poverty to lands overrun with 
land minds--and he did so without alienating or rejecting persons or 
world leaders who disagreed with him. Under his leadership, the 
Communist domination of Poland came to end, the Vatican and the State 
of Israel established diplomatic relations, and an unprecedented effort 
to cleanse the church's conscience began.
  On his fifth and final trip to the United States in 1999, Pope John 
Paul II reminded a flourishing country to look beyond material growth 
and address the poverty, the spread of gangs, drugs and violence 
staring us in the face.
  Just a few years later, he stood with us, a broken nation, on 
September 11, 2001, to help victims, friends, and families grieve for 
their loved ones and turn their loss into good.
  Today I stand with Arkansans to offer prayer and to pay homage to 
Pope John Paul II, one of the most inspirational leaders of our time 
and a great defender of faith.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon is recognized for 30 
minutes.

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