[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5577]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO POPE JOHN PAUL II

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Baca) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a man who embodied 
the values of compassion and selflessness.
  Serving for the past 26 years as the spiritual and emotional beacon 
of the Catholic Church, John Paul II exhibited charisma, character, and 
conviction when carrying his divine message to millions of people 
across the world.
  He passed away this past Saturday at the age of 84 after a courageous 
struggle.
  I join millions of mourning people across the world in honoring his 
remarkable life and recognizing his wondrous achievements.
  Many great men and women have devoted themselves to a single cause or 
to a group of people. Pope John Paul devoted his efforts to all 
humanity around the world.
  When he was elected Pope on October 16, 1978, he was well aware of 
the problems occurring not only in the Catholic Church but throughout 
the world. Communism had a grip on many areas, including his beloved 
homeland of Poland.
  John Paul II had a social and political vision of what the world 
should be and dedicated himself to changing the reality that we knew.
  He inspired incredible change, leading with unwavering faith and 
exceptional sincerity. His duty to the church was purposeful and his 
love for mankind was unconditional.
  He undertook the goals of sewing the schisms of Christianity, healing 
the wounds of the Christian-Judeo relationship, and creating a legacy 
for the world to follow. He left his imprint on all faiths, as well as 
the scholar world.
  As a devoted Catholic, I am honored and privileged to recognize such 
a special and loved person.

                              {time}  2015

  He was my inspirational compass and guided my faith through his 
unyielding dedication to the tenet of integrity and morality.
  Mr. Speaker, today I mourn the passing of Pope John Paul II, but 
salute and express sincere admiration in his unparalleled life and 
lasting legacy, and I wrote a poem that I would like to dedicate to 
John Paul II that's called ``The Spirit of Life Is.''
  To live is to believe. To see is to believe. To express is to 
believe. To feel is to believe. To respect is to believe. To forgive is 
to believe. To have hope is to believe. To love is to believe. For if 
you possess these values, you truly can enter the Kingdom of Heaven, 
and the spirit of life will be within you. For you truly have touched 
the life of the world around us in making it a better place for 
humanity, changing the course of history. Your legacy will live in the 
lives of those who truly believe.''

                          ____________________