[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 173]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                              VATICAN TRIP

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                        HON. JOHN JOSEPH MOAKLEY

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, January 20, 2001

  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, last week I had the great honor of 
traveling to the Vatican with Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and several of 
our House colleagues to present the Congressional Gold Medal of Freedom 
to Pope John Paul II. To put it simply, being in the presence of the 
Pope was by far one of the most moving and important experiences of my 
career. The Holy Father was tremendously generous with the time he gave 
to our group, and his words to us were powerful and inspiring.
  Pope John Paul II has done more for children, women and men, to 
eliminate poverty, to stimulate freedom and more for peace than anyone 
in our generation--and quite possibly in history. As I read through his 
biography I recalled the many trips the Holy Father has taken over the 
years to the greater ends of the Earth. They weren't easy trips, nor 
did he confront easy problems. His kindness, his words of wisdom, his 
humanitarian nature, and his willingness to live a life based on 
principle and faith has changed the world more than any of us can 
imagine.
  Of particular note was his diplomatic effort to end authoritarian 
rule throughout Eastern Europe which originally was a task that many of 
us considered impossible. But who among us will ever forget the day 
that the Berlin Wall came down.
  The Pope's trips have often taken him to the poorest parts of the 
world where he gave great comfort to the sick and downtrodden. I 
remember his trips to India and Mexico to name a few. These were areas 
and people that many of us knew little about, and the Holy Father shed 
light on them, humanized them.
  This is a Pope that has been seen by more people around the world 
than any other. Often, just the fact that he chose to stop in a country 
and visit has produced lasting change. I'll always remember standing in 
the plaza in Havana, Cuba, listening to the Pope talk critically about 
freedom and human rights. These were words that many of those standing 
in the crowd had never heard spoken publicly. The faces of the Cuban 
people and the joy they felt in seeing the Holy Father was a moment 
I'll never forget. Today, the Holy Father's visit has created a greater 
role for the Catholic Church in Cuban society, and made a better life 
for many Cubans.
  I want to thank Speaker Hastert for including me on this memorable 
trip to present the Congressional Gold Medal to the Pope. As a member 
of the House, I was proud that our institution has chosen to honor one 
of the great individuals in history.

                           Pope John Paul II

       Saluto del Santo Padre in occasione della consegna della 
                      ``Congressional Gold Medal''

       Mr. Speaker, Members of Congress, Distinguished Guests, I 
     am pleased to welcome you to the Vatican this morning, and I 
     am honored by the gracious gesture which has brought you 
     here. It is not for the Successor of the Apostle Peter to 
     seek honors, but I gladly accept the Congressional Gold Medal 
     as a recognition that in my ministry there has echoed a word 
     that can touch every human heart. It has been my endeavor to 
     proclaim the word of God, which on the very first page of the 
     Bible tells us that man and woman have been created in his 
     very image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26).
       From this great truth there flows all that the Church says 
     and does to defend human dignity and to promote human life. 
     This is a truth which we contemplate in the glory of Jesus 
     Christ, the Son of God, crucified and risen from the dead. In 
     the years of my ministry, but especially in the Jubilee Year 
     just ended, I have invited all to turn to Jesus in order to 
     discover in new and deeper ways the truth of man. For it is 
     Christ alone who fully reveals man to himself and makes known 
     his sublime destiny (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22). To see the 
     truth of Christ is to experience with deep amazement the 
     worth and dignity of every human being, which is the Good 
     News of the Gospel and the heart of Christianity (cf. 
     Redemptor Hominis, 10).
       I accept this award as a sign that you, as legislators, 
     recognize the importance of defending human dignity without 
     compromise, so that your nation may not fail to live up to 
     its high responsibilities in a world where human rights are 
     so often disregarded. Therefore, Ladies and Gentlemen, I 
     thank you for this Congressional Gold Medal. In offering my 
     good wishes for the New Year, I invoke upon you, your 
     families and all whom you represent ``the peace of God which 
     is beyond understanding'' (Phil 4:7). May God bless you all!

     

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