Living a life one could only dream about, Karol Wojtyla grew from a meek Polish upbringing to a level of popularity that words cannot describe. Pope John Paul II, as he was known, became undoubtedly the most recognizable figure on the face of the Earth.
Elected into the papacy at the age of 58, John Paul II was expected to be a rather complacent Pope who simply conformed to the wishes of the Vatican. The new Pontiff, however, possessed a vision quite different for his 26 years in the papacy. “The Traveling Pope” became a fitting nickname for the Pope whom made it his mission to explore the world and spread his message of peace.
His devout formed what they felt to be a very close relationship with John Paul II due to his ministry as a “people person.” Protecting the poor and humble, he put to rest the reputation of an unapproachable and untouchable pope by embracing his people with hugs and kisses, fearless of the repercussions.
Ensuring the stability of the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world was the constant task at hand for John Paul II. He accomplished this mission by simply appearing at various events, reaching the farthest and most remote locations on Earth.
Steadfast in his conservative views, Pope John Paul II acquired a reputation that drove people to adore, dislike or have a partial disagreement with his reign. With very conservative views about birth control, the prolonging of life and homosexuality, the Pope defended his stance by using reference to the Bible.
In the world of liberal thought, John Paul II severed many ties with those who believed that rules pertaining topics like homosexuality and abortion should be addressed or changed.
Due to modernization and the increase of liberal inhabitants in Europe and the United States, the Roman Catholic Church transformed into somewhat of a stagnant population. Also, the Pope’s inability to properly address the molestation scandals in these territories resulted in many people turning their backs on the Catholic Church.
Quite the opposite occurred in many third-world and developing countries. John Paul II greatly appealed to these people and matched their traditional views on controversial subjects. As a result, citizens of countries in Africa, Latin America and India composed the largest Roman Catholic population in the world; a statistic formerly held with a tight grip by the U.S. and Europe.
Although Pope John Paul II is criticized by a portion of the modern population in developed countries, he is still to be commended and praised for his undying message of peace. Even with a world struggling to persevere through modern debates, an enormous number of people remain loyal to the Pope and the Catholic Church in every section of the world.
With bells ringing 85 times for the number of years John Paul II spent on this Earth, Cabrini College felt the impact of his tragic passing. Memorial Mass and numerous forms of dedication will be practiced for the remainder of the week. Similar appropriate dedications and mourning have occurred in schools around the world for a man that showed the people that anything is possible; the man from the humble beginnings of Krakow, Poland, Karol Wojtyla.
Posted to the web by Shawn Rice
