Pope St John Paul II: A noble witness of hope
Remembering the great pontiff on the 20th anniversary of his demise
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Pope St John Paul II’s demise after 14 years under the heavy cross of Parkinson’s disease, which caused him tremendous physical, moral and spiritual pain, without him ever asking for a sedative. Nevertheless, his willpower remained intact to the very last day of his 84 years in this world.
One very important aspect of John Paul II’s pontificate were his international apostolic journeys, which numbered 104. They were an expression of his constant pastoral solicitude, as successor of Peter, for all members of the Church, wherever they were.
A further outstanding feature of these trips was his concern for human rights, the dignity of every human being, freedom and democracy. He never lost an opportunity to strongly pronounce his stand on these crucial matters, especially when facing dictators.
One historic example in this regard remains that of April 2, 1987, when he met general Augusto Pinochet, whose military dictatorship had been ruling Chile since 1973, a period in which many dissidents were jailed or tortured and thousands of Chileans were killed or disappeared.
According to George Weigel’s authoritative biography of John Paul II, Witness to Hope, during this meeting Pinochet asked John Paul II: “Why is the Church always talking about democracy? One method of government is as good as another.” John Paul’s response was loud and clear: “No. The people have a right to their liberties, even if they make mistakes in exercising them.”
These words must have had a great impact on Pinochet. Indeed, according to the book Why He Is a Saint, by the postulator for John Paul II’s cause for canonisation, Monsignor Sławomir Oder, the pope later said: “I received a letter from Pinochet in which he told me that, as a Catholic, he had listened to my words, he had accepted them and he had decided to begin the process to change the leadership of his country.”
Pinochet kept his word. By the following year, on October 5, 1988, he organised a referendum asking the Chilean people if they wanted him to extend his rule by another eight years or if they wanted a return to civilian rule. The people chose the latter option: the “No” side won with 56% of the vote.
Pinochet’s 16-year rule came to an end through democratic elections held in 1989.
Promoter of peace
John Paul II was also a steadfast promoter of peace.
In his very first World Day of Peace message as pontiff, on January 1, 1979, he stated that the attainment of peace is the summing up and crowning of all our aspirations because we sense that peace is fullness and joy.
He never lost an opportunity to strongly pronounce his stand on crucial matters- Charles Buttigieg
The pope acknowledged that we do not find in the Gospel text ready-made formulas for making, today, this or that advance towards peace. Nonetheless, he added that “on almost every page of the Gospel and of the history of the Church we find a spirit, that of brotherly love, powerfully teaching peace. We find, in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and in the sacraments, a strength drawn from the divine source. We find, in Christ, a hope. Setbacks cannot render vain the work of peace, even if the immediate results prove to be fragile, even if we are persecuted for our witness in favour of peace. Christ the Saviour associates with his destiny all those who work with love for peace”.
John Paul II appealed to everyone, Christians, believers and men and women of good will, not to be afraid to take a chance on peace, to teach peace. “The aspiration for peace will not be disappointed for ever. Work for peace, inspired by charity which does not pass away, will produce its fruits. Peace will be the last word of history,” he prophesied.
Christ still being crucified
Occurring so close to the celebration of Holy Week, John Paul II’s 20th death anniversary also brings to mind how he saw Christ’s crucifixion vis-à-vis the world he was living in.
In his personal notes during one of his retreats (March 4-7, 1979), John Paul II wrote that in our time we continue to crucify Christ in various forms: military atheism, secularism immorality, the ‘trading’ of religion in politics and beyond.
He further mentioned suffering, diseases, unjust distribution of goods, enslavement of man, loneliness and wars (In God’s Hands – The Spiritual Diaries of Pope St John Paul II).
The suffering of Jesus on calvary, and the significance of the cross in the suffering that each person has to bear, was a subject he used to habitually reflect about. In the last years of his pontificate he was able to personify his teaching on the matter in his own weakness and vulnerability.
On Good Friday 2005 (March 25), John Paul II was unable to lead that year’s Way of the Cross at the colosseum because of his infirmity.
Still, he stood sitting alone facing the altar of his private chapel, with a television screen beneath the crucifix and the tabernacle showing a torchlit procession at Rome’s colosseum.
Near the end of the Via Crucis, John Paul II was seen holding a large wooden crucifix.
The pope did not address the crowds on Good Friday 2005. However, he sent a brief message that was read out by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general of Rome diocese, telling the crowd: “I am with you in spirit at the Colosseum, a place that stirs up within me so many memories and emotions.”
He noted that “we adore and bless the mystery of the Cross of the Son of God, because it was from his death that new hope for humanity was born”.
John Paul II offered his sufferings “so that God’s plan may be completed and his Word spread among the peoples. I, in turn, am close to all who are tried by suffering at this time. I pray for each one of them”.
The ailing pontiff concluded his message with a particular prayer: “Hail, O Cross, our only hope, give us patience and courage and obtain peace for the world!”
Charles ButtigiegCharles Buttigieg is a former public relations officer of the Archdiocese of Malta.