[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5503]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING POPE JOHN PAUL II

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today, this body, the Senate, and the world 
community grieve for the passing of Pope John Paul II. He passed away 
Saturday evening, April 2, in his bed overlooking St. Peter's Square. 
Millions of Catholics and non-Catholics alike mourn the departure of 
one of the greatest spiritual leaders and moral teachers of the modern 
era.
  Pope John Paul set an extraordinary example of personal integrity and 
courage, not only for his fellow Catholics but for people of every 
religious and philosophical viewpoint.
  Pope John Paul was born Karol Joseph Wojtyla on May 18, 1920, in 
Poland, a country which at the time was a desolate, impoverished, and 
war-torn place. By the time John Paul reached the age of 21, every 
close member of his family had died. Most people would have been 
devastated by such losses. But for John Paul, this early experience of 
suffering deepened his spirituality and his capacity to find meaning in 
man's frailty.
  John Paul was ordained as a priest at the age of 26. In 1964, he 
became the Bishop of Krakow. Three years later, he was elevated to 
cardinal by Pope Paul VI. In 1978, he became the first non-Italian in 
455 years to be elected Pope of the Catholic Church.
  For the next 2\1/2\ decades, Pope John Paul campaigned tirelessly for 
human rights and dignity throughout the world. He practiced and 
inspired resistance to the great totalitarian systems that rose and, 
with his help, fell in the 20th century. He had the key insight that, 
in his words, ``the historical experience of socialist countries has 
sadly demonstrated that collectivism does not do away with alienation, 
but rather increases it, adding to it a lack of basic necessities and 
economic inefficiency.''
  His historic trip to Poland in 1979 catalyzed the Solidarity movement 
and led to the peaceful dissolution of the Soviet empire.
  John Paul fostered harmony between Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and 
Protestant Christians. He reached out in friendship to Jews and members 
of other faiths, and he warmly promoted interfaith understanding.
  He was the first Pope to visit a mosque and the first Pope to visit a 
synagogue. A poet, a playwright, and a philosopher, Pope John Paul II 
dedicated himself to the defense of the weakest and most vulnerable 
members of the human family.
  He eloquently defended the right to life of every human being, 
irrespective of race or sex, age or size, stage of development, or 
condition of dependence. He believed that ``science can purify religion 
from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry 
and false absolutes.''
  On his visits to the United States, he called on all Americans to be 
faithful to the great principles of liberty included in our Declaration 
of Independence and in the Constitution. Even in his last frail 
moments, he remained devoted to God and the cause of justice. His 
selfless service to God and man will remain an inspiration to all 
people of good will across the globe.
  I will close with a poem he wrote for his mother at the age of 19. It 
reflects his extraordinarily sensitive nature and closes with a prayer 
the world now sends out to him. It is entitled ``Over This, Your White 
Grave'':

     Over this, your white grave,
     The flowers of life in white,
     So many years without you,
     How many have passed out of sight?
     Over this, your white grave,
     Covered for years, there is a stir
     In the air, something uplifting
     And, like death, beyond comprehension.
     Over this, your white grave,
     Oh, Mother, can such loving cease?
     For all his filial adoration
     A prayer:
     Give her eternal peace.

  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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