There's something admirable and inspiring about a person who says, "These are the principles and morals by which I will live my life," and then proceeds to do so, right to the very end. Someone like that serves as an example for all of us. Such a person was Pope John Paul II. He learned about dignity and the value of life early, and fought to advance those principles right until the moment he died.
Pope John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyla, was a man with a steadfast belief in a set of solid moral values in a world where morality is frowned upon and values shift with the wind. He studied for the priesthood in secret during the Nazi occupation of his native Poland, while he performed with an underground theater group. (Before entering the Church, he wanted to be an actor.) He began his work as a religious leader under the disapproving atheism of Communist rule, becoming an auxiliary bishop in Krakow in 1958. He was made a cardinal in 1967, and elected to the Papacy in 1978.
In his entire life, he was never known to compromise his principles, and always fought for human rights and understanding as he visited mosques, temples, and synagogues around the world. He never berated or rabble-roused. He merely spoke, gently and convincingly, about the dignity of human life. The struggles of his youth didn't end with his election as Pope. He even demanded rights for the faithful in the Soviet Union when he met with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989... and he got them. Having seen the worst of humanity first-hand, he strove to bring out the best of it.
When he traveled home to Poland in 1979 to give his support to the workers, for instance, he knew he was asking them to stand up against the might of the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. By showing his own solidarity with those who fought for freedom, he inspired millions to rise and throw off Communist rule. Lech Walesa, the leader of the Solidarnosc (solidarity) movement that led the Poles out of Communism, said that the Pope "started this chain of events that led to the end of communism," and called him the "paramount champion of the cause of freedom."
The Pope's tough, traditional stance on abortion, gay marriage and other moral issues turned off a lot of the more Liberal baby-boomer types, though they applauded his opposition to the death penalty and war. His appeal to the young, however, was undeniable. Wherever he went, even in the United States, teenagers flocked to see him and hear him speak. When families are in decline and society seems to have lost its way, young people seek guidance from those who stand for solid and real principles. Pope John Paul II didn't generate positions by checking focus groups or opinion polls, and he didn't play the fence-straddling politician -- he knew exactly what he stood for, based on his beliefs. He did so unwaveringly and unapologetically, yet with charm and warmth, even when he could no longer stand at all.
Even as his health failed, Pope John Paul II fought to show the world the true meaning of "death with dignity." He accepted the failure of his physical body as the fate that awaits every living creature, in the end. He showed the same courage in death as he did in life, and gave us all a last lesson to learn.
Many who are not religious (myself included) still found it comforting to know that somewhere in the world, someone firmly upheld traditional moral values. More than any other religious or secular leader, Pope John Paul II made it clear that good and right transcend religious and even political lines. His ability to reach out and embrace people of all religions (and none) might, if we're lucky, someday be mirrored in the political realm.
Many of the more Liberal types hope that the Pope's successor will change the Church to suit their "modern" morality, so that it will fit them better. That would be a terrible mistake. It was his consistent affirmation of traditional values that made him a great leader, and I believe the next Pope will see the wisdom of following John Paul's lead. So if you're hoping to see a Pope George Ringo changing the cross to a peace sign, proclaiming "if it feels good, do it," wearing tie-dyed robes and introducing the "Buddy Christ" from the movie Dogma... forget it.
Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei.
