[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 36 (Monday, April 4, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3123-S3124]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING POPE JOHN PAUL II

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, today we mourn the passing of a great man. 
In the long history of Roman Catholic Popes, John Paul II is among the 
greatest in championing human dignity. He also was a champion for the 
sanctity of human life and for the family and for working for the good 
of his Church. He is the kind of leader who only comes along once in a 
very great long time.
  As the most traveled pontiff of all time, Pope John Paul personally 
delivered hope, encouragement, and inspiration to more people in more 
places than any other person in human history. And he was especially 
beloved by the youth, the future of our world, with whom he had a very 
special relationship.
  Catholics and non-Catholics alike should feel fortunate to have had 
such a leader in our midst, a man who gave so much to humanity.
  Undeterred, perhaps even driven a bit harder by an assassin's 
bullets, this devout man embarked on an exhausting journey over a 
quarter of a century to spread words of freedom, compassion, and 
justice. His mission seems to have been nothing less than redemption of 
the world. Surely, but for men such as this, the world would have long 
fallen into irreparable chaos and decline.
  Elected Bishop of Rome on October 16, 1978, Pope John Paul II's faith 
and courage was forged and proven as a Polish priest standing up to the 
horrors of the Soviet Union. He took his stance at a time when 
dissidents were whisked away in the dark, never to be heard from again. 
Yet John Paul's perseverance eventually awakened the soul of a nation 
of secret believers who stood in candlelit solidarity to bring down an 
evil empire.
  According to Harvard theologian George Williams, a Protestant who 
befriended the Pope many years ago, he is an imposing man in physique, 
big in intellectual vision, who deeply enjoys people. In a most 
remarkable way, he is a man whose soul is at leisure with himself.
  Only two Popes have served longer and none with more sustained vigor, 
clarity, or cheerfulness. Even after his step faltered and his voice 
began to waiver, he bore his infirmities with honor and humor. Although 
his body was failing, his indomitable spirit continued to touch the 
world and teach us about the strength and promise of the human heart.
  This great Pope was loved by people of various religions and across 
ideological spectrums. Even many who disagreed with him respected his 
grand vision and his convictions. Having captured the world's attention 
and admiration by standing for our better angels for so long, Pope John 
Paul II will surely stand with President Ronald Reagan as one of the 
giants of our time.
  Both men understood deeply where the hope of mankind lay--in faith, 
in courage, in liberty. On October 11, 2001, 1 month after the 
devastating terrorist attacks of 9/11, John Paul offered this prayer:

       O God almighty and merciful, he who sows discord cannot 
     understand You. He who loves violence cannot welcome You. 
     Watch over us in our painful condition, tried by the brutal 
     acts of terrorism and death. Comfort Your children and open 
     our hearts to hope that in our time, we again may know 
     serenity and peace.

  I can only add my own amen to that prayer.
  I yield the floor to Senator Alexander under the terms of the 
previous order.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Texas. I join 
with him in his thoughts about Pope John Paul II and the thoughts of 
our other colleagues that have been expressed. He was a man of 
sincerity and great character. He traveled more than any other Pope. He 
traveled the United States more than any other Pope. He carried a 
message of peace. He carried a message of charity. He had a profound 
impact on the world and his native country of Poland. It can fairly be 
said that Poland would not have overthrown communism, at least not when 
it did, had it not been for Pope John Paul.
  I remember in 1987, our family had lived in Australia for 6 months, 
three teenagers and a 7-year-old, and we came home from around the 
world in a little different way. We took a train from Moscow to Paris. 
This was before the Berlin Wall came down. All of us, our different 
ages in our family, remember how in Poland the churches were open and 
vibrant, they were active, and people were there. In Russia, they were 
museums. We thought about that. We think about that today as we

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reflect back on the role of this man who was an example for each of us 
and who deserves the world's attention, the world's prayers, and the 
world's acclaim.

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