Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The Fast Track to Sainthood

Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images
A Modern Day Saint

On May 1st, the late Pope John Paul II will have come one step closer to becoming a saint. The Vatican has agreed that he is to be beatified after evidence of miracle has debated and finally confirmed as real. This momentous occasion is perhaps even more relevant today because it is on course to be accomplished in record time. Ironically, the current record holder, Mother Theresa, obtained this honor in record time partially due to the urging of John  Paul II. In fact, the late pope will only break the record by a matter of days. And yet, it is even more personal than that. The Venerable Pope John Paul II was a beacon of light in a world where all else was dark or dimming. Through the power of the papacy, Pope John Paul II became one of the world's greatest communicators, helped end communism, and most importantly, he brought the spirit of love back to religion.


 Man of the Year

Pope John Paul II, or Karol Wojtyla, is the second longest serving pope in documented history. Elected at a time when the Papacy was becoming less and less relevant, no more perfect a fit could have been found. Initially breaking convention by becoming the first non-Italian born pope elected in over four hundred years, Pope John Paul II continued to redefine the Papacy by becoming the first 'pop' pope.  Combining his international influence with a pop culture cult following, made he and his message more mainstream, while at the same time bringing religion to a new generation. But what perhaps endeared him to Catholics, as well as the rest of the world, was his appetite for travel. Known as the traveling pope, John Paul II traveled more than any other pope in history, and was personally able to delivery his own message to the world. But to understand his message, one must first understand the making of the man behind it.

Pope John Paul II was born in Poland on May 18th, 1920 and was a student at seminary school for most of the Nazi occupation of Poland. During this time, historians have accredited him with saving the lives of multiple Polish fleeing from the Nazis. One such story was of him saving 14 year old Edith Zierer. Alone and exhausted after fleeing from a concentration camp, Edith collapsed on a railway platform. acting out of instinct, John Paul II picked the little girl up and accompanied her through Krakow and on to safety. Even from an early age, Pope John Paul II was a friend to everyone, Catholic or Protestant, Jew or Hindi, black or white. He epitomized the idea that religion is what one makes of it and, that one must love everyone around them, even those you may not agree with. I for one think this is the  true message that god intended for us to learn.

On a more personal level, John Paul II is one of my all time heroes and has greatly shaped how I think about the world. He was the first pope to realize that you can keep your tradition teachings and doctrine while still stepping into new and unknown territory. By wading into popular culture and visiting cities that no pope yet gone to, John Paul II established himself as a compassionate world leader, devoted to guiding his religion into the new millennium. In turn, I apply his view both to my own religion, as well as to my politics. Catholics, as well as Republicans, can keep their traditional teachings and their core principles. John Paul II didn't ask anyone to give up their beliefs nor did he try to scare nonbelievers, or people of different view points, into siding with him. Instead he would just ask each person to truly live up to their own beliefs. In a sentence, his message is: turn your actions into words, for only then will you know the true power of your own convictions. If one believes in freedom and liberty for all, then apply it to everyone equally.  It is this principle that guided John Paul II and now guides me.

Perhaps what I most appreciate about the late Pontiff was his ability to bring together people of different religions, see beyond their differences in dogma, and produce a united front. In 1994, Pope John Paul the second established formal diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the State of Israel. In his address to commemorate this moment, he called for creating a brotherhood between Catholics and Jews, and later said that he even considered Jews to be 'our elder brothers.' In 1999, he also signed a joint Declaration with leaders of the Lutheran Church as a gesture of unity between them. He also establish a strong relationship with the Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church as well as with the 14th Dalai Lama whom he met eight times during his reign. All of this combined, resulted in his selection as Time Magazine's Man of the Year in 1995.

The Road Forward

Although he was fluent in eight different languages, Pope John Paul II's greatest gift was his ability to speak to our hearts. His words tugged at our hearts and his passion and patience opened up our minds to what religion can be. He spoke of love and compassion for others, and preached understanding and unity between people of different religions and ideologies. He was living proof that people from all corners of the world do have shared goals, ideas, and morals; which would shine through if people would only give each other a chance. Sadly this is a message that is almost nonexistent within Protestant America and is equally as invisible in American politics. The American people must demand that their religious and political leaders work together, regardless of race, or religion, or political party. Only then will the United States be working as the founders intended.

The next step for Pope John Paul II on his journey to Sainthood is much like the first half. After he is beatified in May, for when he miraculously cured a woman of Parkinson's Disease, the Vatican must locate and verify a second miracle he performed. Only after one is located and verified, will he then become a saint. If in the end he succeeds he will have traversed that journey also, in record time. In my opinion, it couldn't have happened to a more worthy person. May he rest in eternal and everlasting peace.

Later,
Cody

2 comments:

  1. HOw true you are we need more saints like him. The darkness has returned.

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  2. Cody, I sent you a twitter message, get me your email addy and I'll set you up to post on NW Indiana politics. You're welcome to cross post these posts from this site ... may help you build some readers here and get more interaction. Great job!

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