[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 36 (Monday, April 4, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3128-S3129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING POPE JOHN PAUL II

  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I appreciate the opportunity to pay my 
respects to a simple, humble man who achieved historic greatness--Pope 
John Paul II. The Archbishop of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Harry Flynn, had 
a

[[Page S3129]]

quote the other day. I was home this weekend with my wife and was 
looking over remarks made about John Paul II. The Archbishop said this:

       He will be known, I firmly believe, as John Paul the Great 
     in the long history of the church. This will be because of 
     his profound writings and for his unceasing focus on the 
     dignity of each and every human being and the paramount value 
     of human life. To my mind, his election to the pontificate 
     was made possible by the providence of God and demonstrates 
     God's love for his church.

  I agree with my friend Archbishop Flynn that John Paul II will be 
known in history as John Paul the Great.
  The human family is plagued by many artificial divisions. Once in a 
great while, a figure emerges whose ideas and example resonate across 
all boundaries and brings us together. John Paul II was such a person.
  As a Jew, I feel a deep sense of personal loss because the person I 
looked to for leadership and who I deeply and profoundly respected has 
passed on. I have the image of John Paul II at the western wall in 
Jerusalem, the Wailing Wall it has been called, the last remains of the 
outer part of the second temple, perhaps one of the holiest spots in 
the Jewish faith. I believe, if my recollection of Jewish tradition is 
correct, as you walk along the western wall, about 100 yards inward is 
the place where Abraham was going to sacrifice his son and the covenant 
with God was formed. I remember John Paul there praying, inserting his 
prayer--one of the things you do at the western wall is oftentimes you 
take a prayer and put it in one of the crevices of the wall as you say 
a prayer.
  His feeling was so deep and rich. I can see him there praying in 
front of the western wall, I believe asking for forgiveness for the 
church for the history of antisemitism.
  I have heard the essence of leadership described in this way: A 
leader maintains order in the midst of change and change in the midst 
of order. That was John Paul's outstanding gift. He held strongly to 
eternal values while he was a force for dynamic and even revolutionary 
change. He played a decisive role in the liberation of Eastern Europe 
and the fall of the Soviet Union. He has passed on within a few months 
of the other central figure in that historic change, Ronald Reagan. But 
Pope John Paul II did not wield military power. He was a man whose 
strength came from moral force and a conscience governed by peace.
  Remarkably, he was able to lead with equal impact in the vigorous 
early days of his papacy and in the weakness of his latter years.
  There has been so much that has been written and said about this Pope 
in the last few days that I believe has captured the essence of this 
great man. There is a piece I saw in Larry Kudlow's column. I would 
like to read from it:

       John Paul II reached across all religious lines, becoming 
     the most evangelical pope in recent memory. He was tireless 
     as he spread his message of traditional religious faith and 
     values to anyone who would listen--believers, nonbelievers, 
     Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews. This will surely be 
     one of his most enduring legacies. You do not have to be 
     Catholic to be grateful for the service John Paul II rendered 
     to all mankind.

  He did a tremendous service by the way he reached out to Israel and 
Jews around the world. His visits to Holocaust sites healed generations 
of misunderstanding and underscored the world's conviction that events 
such as this must never be allowed to happen again.
  His constancy showed us how to live. His forgiveness showed us how to 
deal with evil. His generosity showed us our obligation to the less 
fortunate. His faith showed us that we all live for purposes far beyond 
ourselves.
  I was the mayor of St. Paul, MN, so I am happy to quote St. Paul's 
words to sum up the Holy Father's life:

       Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does 
     not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-
     seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of 
     wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the 
     truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, 
     always perseveres. Love never fails.

  John Paul II was an ambassador of love, and his love will continue to 
bless the world. I said to my wife the other day: How blessed we are to 
have lived in his time.
  John Paul the Great is no longer physically with us, but he has 
touched all our souls in extraordinary ways. We thank God to have known 
him.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cornyn). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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