[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5606-5611]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING JOHN PAUL II

  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise this morning, just having returned 
to Washington from Colorado, to share a few comments about the Holy 
Father, Pope John Paul II.
  My family's faith tradition--like yours, Mr. President--since time 
immemorial has been Roman Catholic. In Pope John Paul II, we witnessed 
a great spiritual leader, a conscience and a statesman.
  Pope John Paul II exemplified the values and teachings of Jesus 
Christ in his humility, service to others, and in his struggle to have 
the world recognize the dignity of every human being. John Paul II 
lived the creed of Jesus Christ as set forth in the Book of Matthew, 
Chapter 23, Verses 11-12, where Jesus, speaking to the crowds and his 
disciples, said:

       The more lowly your service to others, the greater you are. 
     To be the greatest, be a servant. But those who think 
     themselves great shall be disappointed and humbled; and those 
     who humble themselves shall be exalted.

  More than 26 years ago, in the eighth round of voting, Karol Wojtyla 
was elected to head the Roman Catholic Church. His predecessor, Pope 
John Paul I, had died after only 32 days as Pope. The selection of the 
charismatic Polish cardinal--the first non-Italian pope in 455 years--
surprised many people both inside and outside the Catholic Church.
  In the quarter-century since then, Pope John Paul II continued to 
surprise--and challenge--not only members of my church but, indeed, the 
entire world to recognize and celebrate the dignity of each and every 
person.
  But that was not all ``the Pilgrim Pope'' revolutionized. Where 
previous pontiffs had often seemed distant from their flocks, Pope John 
Paul II traveled to more nations and spoke to more people--often times 
in their language--than any other pontiff in the history of the Roman 
Catholic Church.
  His first trip abroad as pontiff was to a region in crisis. Latin 
America, home of half the world's Roman Catholics, was ravaged not just 
by poverty and hunger but by violence and civil war that claimed tens 
of thousands of innocent lives.
  His next trip was to his homeland, Poland, a land that been 
subjugated for decades, first by Nazism, then by communism. One 
journalist wrote that the pope's visit to Poland ``helped bring about 
such profound, irreversible changes that Poland then became a country 
which was clearly ceasing to be a communist country.''
  John Paul also visited America during the first year of his Papacy, 
attracting huge crowds wherever he went. In my home State of Colorado, 
1993, he came to Denver, bringing a message of substance and hope to 
the young people of the world. I remember that visit fondly--and recall 
my father's excitement after he reached over a fence to touch the Pope.
  This pope is recognized--and rightly so--as a sort of patron saint 
for the Solidarity movement in Poland and a catalyst for the demise of 
communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

[[Page 5607]]

  But that was only part of this pope's message. He has also warned 
repeatedly about the shortcomings of capitalism. He reminded us all 
that we have an obligation to help the poor and the oppressed.
  In 1998, he traveled to Cuba, strengthening a Church that is doing 
more and more to help that country's forgotten, and breathing life into 
an opposition movement that surprised the world--and that country's 
backward regime--with a grassroots call for reform.
  In 1999, he again visited the US, reminding us of our duty to not 
forget the poor and oppressed and continuing his special outreach to 
America's young people and challenging them to fight for a better 
America and a better world.
  And in 2000, a visibly frail Pope visited the Holy Land to mark the 
Millennium and in an attempt to bring Jews, Christians and Muslims 
together. Both Jews and Muslims and Christians welcomed him--and 
recognized and celebrated his visit--and applauded of optimism his 
words and hope.
  His efforts to heal the rift between the Vatican and Jews had to be 
colored by his own experience with the brutality of anti-Semitism that 
he had witnessed. In September 1939, he saw his university in Krakow 
shut down and eventually saw several of his friends and classmates sent 
to Auschwitz after the Nazis invaded Poland.
  His efforts at healing historical rifts continued, evidenced by 
meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest ranking 
official in the Episcopal Church. Many wished he could have done more 
on these hurtful rifts, but no one doubted that he began to confront 
these challenges like no Pope has ever done in the history of our 
Church.
  For these nearly 27 years, the Pilgrim Pope John Paul II--an 
accomplished poet, an intellectual and a mystic in that fine Catholic 
tradition--was hailed as a visionary and attacked as a relic. Within 
the Church itself--as in the scores of countries he visited--he was 
criticized by critics on both the left and the right. That is because 
in the Church and on each of his many trips, he brought not only 
comfort and hope--hope for peace in Latin America, freedom in Eastern 
Europe, reconciliation in the Middle East, and improvement in America--
but he also brought discomfort and challenges for all of us to do 
better.
  In 2003, the Vatican had this to say about the role of the Church in 
public life,

       The Church does not wish to exercise political power or to 
     eliminate the freedom of opinion of Catholics regarding 
     contingent questions.
       Instead, it intends--as is its proper function--to instruct 
     and illuminate the consciences of the faithful, particularly 
     those involved in political life, so that their actions may 
     always serve the integral promotion of the human person and 
     the common good.

  None of us lived up to the challenges and prescriptions the Pope 
mapped out in 27 years in a perfect way. We could not because Pope John 
Paul II challenged all of us to do more, to be better.
  Physically, the frail, stooped Pope we saw in the last weeks bore 
little resemblance to the athletic 58-year-old who ascended the throne 
of Peter nearly 27 years ago. But inwardly, he remained deeply 
consistent--challenging us to uphold the dignity of each and every 
person--and illuminated and instructed, as well as challenged and 
surprised the entire world.
  We will miss Pope John Paul II, but his vibrant legacy lives on in 
each of us and in the lessons and challenges he placed before us.
  I thank the President and yield the floor.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Zbigniew Brzezinski, the Polish-born 
national security advisor to President Jimmy Carter, tells a story 
about how the news of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla's election as Pope was 
received by the communist rulers of Poland.
  On that day in October 1978, Mr. Brzezinski said, a group of 
communist writers and party leaders were meeting in Krakow. A police 
colonel was speaking, complaining about the opposition of the church, 
when a woman ran into the room and said, ``Wojtyla has been elected 
Pope!''
  The second secretary of the party, not realizing his microphone was 
still on, turned to the first secretary and said, ``My God, my God, now 
we will have to kiss his''--and he did not say ``ring.''
  The first party secretary, understanding the enormity of the moment, 
replied, ``Only if he lets us.''
  In neighboring Czechoslovakia, a dissident playwright was with 
friends when news of the new Polish Pope came. Vaclav Havel, who would 
go on to become the first elected president of the Czech Republic, said 
he and his friends literally danced with joy when they heard the news. 
``We felt,'' he said, ``that he was a great and charismatic man who 
will open the door to an unprecedented renaissance in Christianity and 
through it, to human spirituality in general, and who will 
fundamentally influence the future destiny and political order of the 
world.''
  More than 26 years later, those stories seem prophetic. Karol 
Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II, did indeed change the world.
  Today, he is being mourned not only in his beloved Poland, and not 
only by Catholics, but by people throughout the world: Christians, 
Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, people from every faith tradition, 
and many with no religious connections.
  Last Friday, when it was clear the Pope was dying, a man in Havana, a 
self-described communist, told an Associated Press reporter, ``I don't 
believe in God. But if there is a God, let him send us a Pope as good 
as this one.''
  In Istanbul, Turkey, the brother of the man who nearly killed the 
Pope said his brother is grieving. ``He loved the Pope,'' his brother 
said.
  Among the places in this country where this Pope's death has left 
many with an aching sadness is the Five Holy Martyrs Church on the 
southwest side of Chicago, the historic heart of Chicago's large Polish 
community. More Poles live in Chicago, IL, than any other city in the 
world, other than Warsaw.
  In October 1979, when Pope John Paul II made his first visit to 
America as Pope, he said Mass at the Five Holy Martyrs Church, where 
the Eucharist is still celebrated in Polish, on an altar in the church 
parking lot, surrounded by more than 17,000 people.
  Today, the altar still stands in the parking lot; it is used once a 
year for a special commemorative Mass. A portion of 43rd Street near 
the Five Holy Martyrs Church has been renamed in the Pope's honor. And 
many who saw him still recall it as one of the greatest days of their 
lives.
  Think of this: half the people in the world today were not even born 
when Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II. Most people under 40 have 
no memory of any other Pope, and remember John Paul only as an elderly 
and frail man.
  Those of us who are a little older, though, remember just as clearly 
what a strong, athletic man he was before age and Parkinson's disease 
began to take their toll. ``God's athlete,'' some called him, and he 
showed in his life how much strength he had.
  He was a traditionalist and a revolutionary, a son of Poland, and a 
citizen of the world. He was a mystic and a man of prayer, but he was 
also a man of action and seemingly inexhaustible energy. Reporters 
decades younger who accompanied him on his travels even in recent 
years, said they returned home exhausted. But John Paul never stopped.
  He was more than a spiritual leader; he was a major player on the 
world diplomatic stage.
  He visited more than 100 nations and every continent except 
Antarctica. All told, he traveled more than three times the distance 
from the Earth to the Moon.
  He spoke more languages than many people can name. In 1993, he 
visited Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia--his first trip as Pope to the 
former Soviet Union. For that trip, he learned his 14th language, 
Lithuanian, which I am sure my Lithuanian-born mother was very happy to 
hear.

[[Page 5608]]

  Everywhere, his message was the same. It is what he told his fellow 
Poles on his first visit home as Pope in 1979: ``Be not afraid.'' There 
is more to this life than what you can see here and now. ``The moral 
arc of the universe is long,'' as another great moral leader told us, 
``but it bends toward justice.''
  He sided always with the oppressed, the marginalized, the voiceless, 
the victims of war and injustice.
  He was fearless and unflinching in the face of leaders of governments 
that suppressed human rights and crushed human hopes. He defied the 
Nazis who occupied Poland when he was a young man, and the communists 
who followed them. He showed real strength that all of us admire.
  His role in ending communism in Poland and bringing about the end of 
the Soviet empire is well documented and rightly praised. He also 
helped to bring an end to apartheid by refusing to visit South Africa 
until that repugnant form of government was abolished.
  Peace, non-violence, the sanctity of life, the dignity of work, the 
realization that we are all part of one human family and that every 
person on earth shares ``a common dignity and a common destiny,'' the 
belief that those who have much owe those who have less true justice, 
not mere charity, these are the lessons John Paul preached.
  He taught us about reconciliation. He apologized for the Church for 
the Crusades, the Inquisition and the persecution of the Jews.
  He showed us how to ask for forgiveness on his first trip home to 
Poland, when he visited the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz and knelt in 
prayer before a memorial to Holocaust victims. He showed us again on 
his first visit to Israel, in 2000, when he reached out his shaking 
hand to touch the Western Wall and leave a written prayer, a plea for 
forgiveness.
  He showed us how to grant forgiveness when he visited the prison cell 
of the man who tried to kill him, and prayed with him.
  He was the first Pope ever to visit a synagogue, or visit a mosque in 
an Islamic nation.
  In his final days, he taught us another lesson: how to die with 
dignity.
  John Paul II lived his life to try to heal the wounds that divide 
humanity. It is a measure of this extraordinary man's success that he 
has been praised in death by both Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres and 
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
  Karol Wojtyla had tears in his eyes when he became Pope. Many of us 
have tears in our eyes as he leaves the papacy and this world.
  Those of us who are Catholic feel a special connection to this Pope. 
Many of us did not always agree with him on matters of Church teaching 
and practice. That is not unusual. In every family, there are disputes. 
But there is also great love. Even when we differed with him, we 
believe the Pope tried to do what he believed was right, and that is 
all we can ask of anyone.
  During his visit to Chicago more than 25 years ago, the Pope said 
mass in Chicago's Grant Park. Many business closed that day to let 
their workers attend the mass. People stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the 
park.
  Later that night, thousands of Chicagoans gathered at the Cardinal's 
mansion to sing ``good night'' to the Pope. It was late, but they 
weren't ready to let him go. He smiled as the crowd sang--and sang some 
more. Finally, with that huge smile and that big, booming voice, the 
Pope told them, ``Now you must go sleep.'' When no one moved, he smiled 
again and repeated, like a stern but loving father, ``You must go 
sleep.''
  All these years later, many of us still wish he could have stayed 
with us just a little longer. But it was time for him to sleep.
  So let us treasure the memory of this good man. And if we are moved 
to pay tribute to him, let us do our best to try to live the lessons he 
taught us with his own extraordinary life.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to the Holy Father.
  Pope John Paul II was an extraordinary ambassador for the betterment 
of humankind in every corner of the globe. His humanity shone through 
every day for two and a half decades of his papacy and his impact on 
the world will be everlasting.
  He was a moral leader in so many of the great battles of our time. He 
fought Communism without violence, and he was dogged in his battles 
against war, injustice, and intolerance wherever he found them. He 
viewed the world in clear terms of good and evil, but he never once 
descended to demagoguery. He was a man who at once understood both the 
frailty and potential of the human spirit.
  What other kind of man could have forgiven his would be assassin in 
person and prayed with him in his jail cell?
  His capacity for belief in the betterment of man moved the world.
  What other kind of man could overcome centuries of mistrust and 
conflict to establish diplomatic ties between the Vatican and the State 
of Israel. That was truly a bold and historic move.
  As a New Yorker, I also must offer to say a special thanks to the 
Pope from the residents of our State and city. New York is an 
international city that attracts immigrants from all over the world who 
come with the dream of finding a better life.
  While the Pope might be the most famous Pole of his time, every one 
of our citizens admired and often shared his pluck, his expansiveness 
and his optimism, qualities that make New York the greatest city on 
Earth. That is one of the reasons he was revered as such a hero by all 
New Yorkers, because the qualities that he exhibited of optimism and 
pluck and expansiveness are characteristics of our city as well. So 
every time he came here, there was a beautiful union. Like the Statue 
of Liberty that he quoted in his visit to Giants Stadium in 1995, his 
life and work was a symbol to millions on these shores and beyond that 
they, too, if they worked hard and stuck to their principles and moral 
values, could enjoy a better life.
  And when terrible tragedy struck our city that awful day 4 years ago, 
the Pope's poignant statements reassured all New Yorkers and all 
Americans. He said at that time:

       May the Blessed Virgin, bring comfort and hope to all who 
     are suffering because of the tragic terrorist attack that 
     profoundly wounded the beloved American people in recent 
     days. To all the sons and daughters of that great nation I 
     now address my heartfelt thoughts and participation. May Mary 
     receive the dead, console the survivors, sustain the families 
     which have been especially tried and help everyone not to 
     give in to the temptation to hatred and violence, but to 
     commit themselves to serving justice and peace.

  And he didn't stop there. After the attacks he convened an inter 
faith pilgrimage for peace to Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis. He 
only led such a pilgrimage twice before--once during the Cold War, once 
during the Balkans conflict. He led leaders of Orthodox, Anglican, 
Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Zoroastrian, 
Tenrikyo, Shinto and traditional African faiths in prayer and 
meditation. It was only a delegation he could have led.
  Personally, I will never forget the Pope's visit to New York City in 
1979. One glance at him and you saw that his nobility and his common 
touch combined so well in one human being was unforgettable for the 
millions of New Yorkers who lined the streets to greet him. People of 
all faiths and background mourn his passing. I join the billions of 
citizens around the world in a solemn prayer and remembrance of this 
great, wonderful, and holy man, Pope John Paul II.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I add my voice to the millions of people 
throughout the world as we try to put in perspective the passing of 
Pope John Paul II.
  As has been said many times in many ways, probably more than anything 
what struck me the most about the Holy Father was his ability to 
understand what could be when other people only saw what couldn't be. 
He understood that communism was an oppressive system. He lived under 
Nazi rule, and as he had the power to bring about change, he used that 
power for the

[[Page 5609]]

 good. He went back to his home country of Poland and challenged his 
people to expect better and to demand better. That is what he did for 
the world.
  He tried to challenge his church, to stick to the principles of the 
church as he saw those principles to be. He challenged the world to do 
better when it came to the less fortunate. He was consistent. He saw 
war as a bad thing. He understood that life was sacred and that the 
state should not take life. He was in opposition to the death penalty. 
There I may disagree, an honest disagreement.
  But he had a consistency about him. When we try to put his beliefs in 
secular terms of being liberal or conservative, we totally miss the 
mark of understanding the Pope. He understood the past, he changed the 
present, and the future will be better because of his time on Earth.
  His passing has left a void in a great religion. The Catholic faith 
has lost a great leader. The world has lost a great voice for humanity, 
for decency, for love, for caring, and that voice will echo throughout 
the ages. As the Catholic Church embarks on picking a new Pope, I can 
understand the legacy that will have to be fulfilled.
  The great religion called the Catholic faith is in mourning for the 
loss of a great leader, but all of us are in mourning for the loss of a 
great leader. Anyone who loves freedom, anyone who believes that there 
is a right and wrong when it comes to certain issues, has lost a great 
guidepost. I believe his legacy will be in challenging the status quo 
for the common good, seeing pain and hearing the cries of the oppressed 
when other people only heard faint noises, and having the courage of 
his convictions. He said, Be not afraid, and that is a lesson for us 
all.
  He has gone to his eternal home. He deserves all the accolades he has 
been given. The world is better for his time on Earth.
  I yield the floor.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, also part of the greatest generation is 
someone whom I rise to pay tribute to today and that is to Pope John 
Paul II. I was saddened at the passing of Pope John Paul II. The Holy 
Father was an inspiration to me as well as to millions around the 
world. His faith, his compassion, his eloquence, transcended religion 
or nationality. We so admired His Holiness because he stood for those 
who suffered, those who were oppressed, those who could not give voice 
through their own advocacy for human rights. He offered faith and hope 
and courage with his famous phrase ``be not afraid,'' as he reached out 
to young people to give them a moral compass that they needed--that we 
all need to guide our lives.
  Pope John Paul was the true people's Pope. Gosh, he traveled to over 
100 countries. He didn't just speak from the pulpit; he reached out and 
touched people. He moved into the crowds, and he spoke the language of 
the people, often literally because he spoke so many languages. The 
Pope was the father of the church, but he was also a son of Poland, my 
own cultural heritage. I remember when I heard the news about the new 
Polish Pope, the first non-Italian in over 400 years. I live down the 
street from the Polish parish, St. Stanislaw's in Fells Point. We felt 
such pride and joy. The bells rang, the tugboats tooted. We closed the 
streets and had a fantastic party. We were so excited.
  In Baltimore we even knew him before he became Pope. He came to visit 
us as the cardinal from Krakow. He visited Holy Rosary Church, again 
one of the Catholic churches serving large numbers in the Polish 
community. I was so pleased to be there that day for this young, 
vigorous, athletic man who came from Poland to speak to us, wanting to 
know about our own country, speaking to us in English also about our 
own hopes and aspirations. But because he had grown up under Nazi 
fascism and lived under the boot of communism, he spoke to us about 
what it was like to live behind the Iron Curtain.
  As you so well know, he came from the captive nations. I was so proud 
then to be part of the American delegation when he was Invested over 2 
years later. And even then we could see the hint of things to come. 
There was a mass for hundreds of thousands of people in St. Peter's 
Square, where His Holiness gave his first blessing and spoke the Word 
to the people in many tongues. Before he came over to greet the 
diplomatic corps, he went over to a special section of children, and 
not just ordinary children but extraordinary children--the mentally 
retarded, those with birth defects, cerebral palsy. And the first touch 
of the Pope was to those children. I think it touched us all.
  One of my best memories was taking my parents to meet the Pope at the 
White House when Jimmy Carter was President and Brzezinski was his 
National Security Adviser. I took my mother and father through the 
receiving line, and they had a chance to talk with him in both Polish 
and English. He turned and smiled with his wonderful humorous way and 
said: Don't forget to listen to your mother and father and to the Holy 
Father.
  Twenty-five years later, I joined my colleagues in the Senate to 
present the Pope with our Congressional Medal, the highest honor we can 
bestow. The Pope doesn't usually accept awards, but he made an 
exception because we wanted to thank him for his stand for human rights 
and for peace and justice around the world. After the presentation and 
the blessing, he said to us: God bless you and God bless America.
  The Pope visited this country seven different times, both as a bishop 
and as Pope. And during those times, he always spoke to us about the 
need for freedom. He knew what it was like to live under the 
occupation. During the dark days of communism, he led the church's 
support of the Solidarity movement. In 1979, after he became Pope, he 
made his very first visit to his own native land. In 9 days, he was 
seen by 13 million people, from Warsaw to Krakow to Czestochova. He 
touched every part of Polish society, and he encouraged them once again 
to be not afraid. One year later an obscure electrician working in a 
shipyard, named Lech Walesa, jumped over that wall. And when he jumped 
over the wall of the Gdansk shipyard, he took the whole world with him. 
That was the beginning of the end of Communism.
  The Pope forged a special relationship with President Ronald Reagan, 
and I believe helped bring about the end of the Cold War and pulled 
down that Iron Curtain.
  Pope John did more than any other leader of the church to reach out 
to different faiths. He was the first Pope to visit a synagogue. He was 
the first Pope to visit a mosque. He reached out to Anglicans and to 
Eastern Orthodoxy. But he didn't just reach out to different faiths; he 
reached also to the human heart. He reached back to the darker side of 
history. He was the first to acknowledge the Holocaust and to say that 
antisemitism was a sin and to officially visit Israel. He wanted the 
improvement of relationships.
  If we want to honor the Pope, we should do it not with words but with 
deeds: To be not afraid, to speak up for truth, to speak truth to 
power, speak about justice, speak about human rights, to speak about 
the marginalized and the oppressed. Today we grieve the death of the 
Pope. We express our gratitude for his remarkable life and his 
remarkable leadership and legacy of faith and freedom and the enduring 
promise of the Gospels calling us to feed the hungry, care for the 
sick, and turn our spears into plowshares.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, when Pope John Paul II died over the 
weekend, the Catholic Church lost its spiritual shepherd. The world 
lost a giant of a man. As successor of St. Peter, he began his papacy 
by reminding the world to ``Be not afraid.'' The captive people of 
Eastern Europe and Latin America heard that message loud and clear. And 
as he prepared for his own death, he met his suffering with a 
fearlessness and hopefulness that was heard by us all.
  For millions of American Catholics, including many Utahns, and many 
of my colleagues in this body, Pope John Paul II's passing represents 
the loss of a profound spiritual leader. My prayers are with all of you 
and with the Pope.
  For non-Catholics like myself the Pope's death is a cause for 
mourning as well. His was an example of strength,

[[Page 5610]]

commitment, and moral courage that we will all miss and that we will 
never forget. The Communist tyranny that the Pope ultimately triumphed 
over once mocked the power of the Catholic Church, asking how many 
divisions the Pope had. While it is true that the Pope possessed no 
military might, his witness to hope, his faith that life would triumph 
over death, that the light would prevail over the darkness, was more 
powerful than any army.
  As a result of his simple faith, this humble man from Krakow, Poland 
emerged from behind the Iron Curtain, became the first non-Italian Pope 
in nearly 500 years, and concluded his life as one of the towering 
figures of the Twentieth Century. I have no doubt that his example will 
guide us in the Twenty-first Century as well, and I understand why it 
is that so many Catholics are already referring to him as John Paul the 
Great.
  My career as a public servant began shortly before John Paul II 
became Pope. I am fortunate to have spent time with him on two 
occasions over the years, and so it was no surprise to me to watch the 
world's and this country's admiration and love for him grow. I was 
struck by his joyful and his charitable spirit. Yet behind that 
peaceful demeanor was a determination to challenge the totalitarian 
assaults on human dignity that stained much of the last century.
  As a young man he was witness to the Nazi terror in his native 
Poland, and later as Pope he went to Poland and encouraged the 
Solidarity movement. He understood that all persons are created in the 
image and likeness of God and that no matter how small, old or weak, no 
person is without significance. I have no doubt that his powerful 
witness to the dignity of all people contributed as much to the 
downfall of the horror of communism as anything we accomplished in 
Washington. A year after he assumed the papacy, John Paul II went to 
Poland and awakened a sleeping giant. Today, I hear that over a million 
thankful Poles are en route to Rome to pay their respects to their 
native son.
  As the Pope grew older and he lost his youthful vigor, his own 
suffering served as a powerful reminder of the need to nurture a 
culture of life. Catholics and non-Catholics alike have heard this 
call. As President Bush put it the other day, it remains the duty of 
the strong to protect the weak.
  It only took about twenty-four hours before some commentators came 
out to declare the Pope's legacy a mixed one. The Pope was too strident 
on certain issues, they say. He left certain groups unsatisfied. 
Perhaps. But I think that these criticisms really miss what this man 
was about. John Paul II reminded us of the meaning that our human lives 
can have. This truth is not something that you can focus group. The 
truth about the universe, about our duty to God and to our fellow man, 
is not something that you can triangulate.
  Still, some fault the Pope for not being more like a politician. He 
was not accommodating enough. He should have compromised and found a 
middle ground. As elected officials, that is our charge. But as the 
spiritual head of the Catholic Church, the Pope's duty was greater than 
what we work to accomplish. He was a witness to truth. His message was 
not always one that people on either side of the aisle wanted to hear, 
but the call to the faithful is not often an easy one to swallow. The 
Pope reminded us of the splendor of truth. I think what is revealed in 
these criticisms of the Pope is the knee-jerk aversion by some to the 
very idea that there are eternal truths. The Pope should be commended, 
not criticized, for reminding us of them.
  The talking heads have this exactly backward. They think that it was 
the Pope who was inconsistent because he was not easily labeled as 
politically liberal or conservative. It never occurs to them that it is 
we who are conflicted; that our divisions are something to be overcome. 
The Pope spoke to what Abraham Lincoln called the better angels of our 
nature. He was not someone seeking political advantage or gain. He 
sought peace and unity, and nowhere was this more clear than in his 
historic outreach to non-Catholic Christians, to the Jewish people, and 
to moderate Muslims.
  Our commentators might not get this, but the world's people certainly 
do. As is clear from the different languages one hears in Rome as 
people wait to file past the Pope, this was a man who belonged to the 
world. And the Pope's trips to this country will never be forgotten. 
People in this country stood in the rain to attend papal masses in 
Boston and Miami, New Orleans and New York. Youth from around the world 
came to celebrate with him in Denver. Though this was a man with a 
universal message, I think that he had a certain American spirit as 
well. He was a kindred spirit. His faith in the future, and in the 
inherent dignity of man, made him at home with the American people, and 
it is appropriate that this nation, which was blessed with his visits 
on numerous occasions, will be flying its flags at half staff until his 
interment on Friday.
  This weekend the Catholic Church lost its shepherd. For over a 
quarter of a century, Pope John Paul II watched over his flock. With 
his death this weekend, I am sure that there are some who feel lost, 
but they should not forget the Pope's reminder: ``Be not afraid.'' When 
he reminded his native Poles of this, they changed the course of 
history. In his passing we should take heed as well. We will miss him, 
and we will mourn, but we have faith that he is now at peace and at one 
with his Lord.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, on Saturday evening the world lost a 
voice for peace, justice, and human dignity.
  Born in Poland in 1920, Pope John Paul II grew up in the aftermath of 
World War I. As a young man, he witnessed the injustice of the Nazi 
occupation of his country, lived amid the horrendous crimes of the 
Holocaust, and survived decades of repression behind the Iron Curtain.
  Out of those experiences, he developed a hopeful view of the world 
that defined his 26 years as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, 
and he shared that vision with Catholics and non-Catholics worldwide.
  As the first non-Italian Pope since 1523, Pope John Paul II was a 
truly groundbreaking figure. He redefined the papacy, coming out from 
behind the walls of the Vatican to travel to 129 countries and 
literally reach out to people wherever he went.
  Through his travel--more than any other Pope--he helped rejuvenate 
and expand Catholicism to areas far beyond its roots.
  During his 26 years as Pope, the Catholic Church grew from 750 
million people to over 1 billion, with most of that growth coming from 
the third world.
  For those in developing countries who struggled merely to survive, 
the Pope was a strong advocate for economic justice. And for those who 
lived under repression, he was a powerful voice for freedom.
  His 1979 visit to his native Poland is viewed as the spark that 
ignited the labor movement which toppled communism in Poland and led to 
its demise throughout Eastern Europe a decade later.
  It was his powerful yet simple belief in the value of human life that 
brought him to challenge violence wherever he saw it.
  He chastised the brutal Communist governments of Eastern Europe. He 
criticized the military junta that governed Brazil in the early 1980s. 
He condemned nuclear war while meeting with survivors of the Hiroshima 
bombing. He called for an end to the violence in Northern Ireland. And 
he appealed for human rights in Cuba.
  The Pope consistently urged leaders and citizens alike to seek peace 
and respect human life.
  The Pope also sought to heal wounds. He apologized for the errors of 
Catholics over the last 2,000 years and for injustices against Jews, 
women, indigenous peoples, immigrants, and the poor. He acknowledged 
the failure of many Catholics to help Jews during the Holocaust. And 
more recently, he condemned the sexual abuse of children by priests in 
the United States.
  The Pope reached out to members of other faiths at a time of growing 
sectarian violence and religious strife.

[[Page 5611]]

  He was the first Pope to pray in a synagogue, the first to visit 
Auschwitz, and the first to make an official papal visit to the Holy 
Land--John Paul II made great strides in improving relations between 
Catholics and Jews.
  And just as he acknowledged the mistakes made by his Church and its 
members, he also demonstrated a willingness to forgive those who had 
done harm to him.
  In December 1983, he met with the man who had attempted to 
assassinate him 2\1/2\ half years earlier. During that meeting, the 
Pope forgave the man who had shot him three times.
  The Pope regularly visited the United States and met with five 
Presidents. He believed that the U.S. had a special responsibility to 
the world calling on our Nation to be ``for the world, an example of a 
genuinely free, democratic, just and humane society.''
  In recent years, even as his health deteriorated, he refused to give 
up. And in this, he served as a model to millions of people throughout 
the world about how faith and willpower can overcome adversity.
  Indeed, I cannot remember a Pope who has been more warmly received 
and loved. I had the great honor to meet him at the Vatican in 1982 
where I presented him with a cross sculpted from handguns melted down 
after being turned into police when they were banned in San Francisco. 
He received my gift warmly, giving me a rosary in return.
  The world has lost a strong voice for peace, justice, and human 
dignity. Pope John Paul II will be dearly missed.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I watched with great sadness this weekend 
as the world lost a remarkable leader and faithful servant. Pope John 
Paul II, born Karol Wojtyla, was the leader of the world's largest 
church and shepherd to more than a billion Catholics throughout the 
world. In my home State of North Dakota, more than 130,000 Catholics 
are mourning the Pope's death this week and praying for the repose of 
his soul. I join these faithful and millions of others in grieving for 
the Holy Father who spread a message of peace and charity during his 
26-year-long pontificate.
  Reflecting on the Pope's legacy, I will forever admire his bravery, 
both in answering God's call and in challenging corrupt governments for 
the sake of humanity. In his first mass at St. Peter's Basilica in 
1978, Pope John Paul II called on Catholics throughout the world to 
``be not afraid.''
  The Pope spent his entire life living that call. Born on the eve of 
World War II, Pope John Paul knew the horrors of war; the Nazis forced 
him into labor when they invaded Poland in 1939. During this period, he 
found comfort in his Catholic faith and challenged the Nazis by 
attending illegal prayer meetings. These experiences hardened his 
conviction that war is ``always a defeat for humanity.''
  He again answered the call to ``be not afraid'' when he challenged 
the Soviet Union and the tyranny of communism in his homeland, Poland. 
Both as Archbishop of Krakow and then as Pope, John Paul II provided 
religious strength to those fighting these regimes. He is credited with 
helping to topple communism in Poland, and his steadfastness against 
oppression in all forms will forever be honored.
  There may be no event more telling of his commitment to bravery and 
mercy than the attempt on his life in 1981. After being shot twice, 
nearly resulting in his death, the Pope recovered and continued his 
public works. Two years after the shooting, he visited his attacker in 
jail and offered his forgiveness. Responding to this act of evil with 
compassion and grace, John Paul served as a witness to what humanity 
should strive to become.
  The world has lost a great leader and the father of a religious 
family. John Paul II will be remembered as a teacher and defender of 
the faith he was called to serve. He will be honored as a diplomat and 
as a revolutionary in the fight against injustice and oppression. And 
he will provide us ongoing inspiration to respect human dignity and the 
worth of all humankind.
  I am saddened by the loss of this just and holy man; however, I am 
joyful that he surely has passed to a more perfect place and is in 
communion with the God he served so faithfully. My thoughts and prayers 
are with the Catholic community and all those who mourn the death of 
Pope John Paul II.

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