[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 42 (Tuesday, April 12, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3478-S3479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL II

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, with the passing of Pope John Paul II, I 
take this opportunity to pay homage to one of the great spiritual 
leaders of our time. He was a truly gifted religious leader who touched 
people all over the world: young and old, rich and poor, the powerful 
and the underprivileged, Catholics and non-Catholics.
  Pope John Paul II defied political labels and was constant in his 
beliefs. For him, defending life included opposing capital punishment 
and recourse to war as well as opposing abortion. Defending families 
meant a commitment to faith and moral uprightness, but it also meant 
standing up for just wages and a social safety net. These beliefs and 
convictions made him a respected leader all over the world.
  One of John Paul's strengths was reaching out to young adults. World 
Youth Day was established by the Pope on Palm Sunday, 1984. He invited 
the Youth of Rome to celebrate the Holy Year of Redemption with him at 
Saint Peter's Square. It was a great success. Building upon this 
success and its popularity, the Pope held this worldwide event every 3 
years.
  Over the last 20 years, millions of young people from hundreds of 
countries have participated in World Youth

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Day. One young woman who attended said that young people loved the Pope 
because the Pope loved them: ``People think that teenagers and young 
people are just out there and reckless, but he didn't see it that way. 
He said, `You are the future and I love you for that.' ''
  The world is now mourning the death of Pope John Paul II. In parishes 
from the Americas to Europe to Africa to Asia, millions are paying 
tribute to a leader whose central message was love, respect, faith and 
responsibility to our fellow man. That example is his legacy, and 
regardless of our individual faiths, it is an example for all of us of 
how to live and relate to our neighbors. May God grant Pope John Paul 
II eternal rest and peace, and we thank him for a life lived in the 
service of people everywhere.

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