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| Weekly
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April
09, 2005
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- ANALYSIS
What World Leaders Say About John Paul II
What Church Leaders Say About the Pope
What Leaders in Other Faiths Say
What World Leaders Say About
John Paul II
"A Good Father to All of Us"
ROME, APRIL 9, 2005 (Zenit.org).-
Throughout the week, praise for the person of John Paul II came from
many corners, including the political realm. Below is a sampling of
what world leader said about the late Pope.
* * *
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, president of Italy
"He has transmitted hope and fidelity to all of us. He has
sculpted consciences with values that give meaning and dignity to
people's lives and to human society. John Paul II believed in the
force of the spirit and has witnessed, with his indomitable courage
and serenity in suffering, the fortitude that enables us to affront
any obstacle, to work for good in every circumstance. He will continue
to live in our hearts, in our acknowledgment of his testimony and of
his example. He has been a true apostle for peace in the whole world.
Italy, Rome -- his diocese that is congregating in St Peter's Square
-- cry for the loss of a father, for a loved person."
--- --- ---
Aleksander Kwasniewski, president of Poland
"A great Pope -- our most outstanding fellow countryman, the Holy
Father, a good father to all of us, believers and nonbelievers,
followers of different religions -- is no more."
--- --- ---
Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister of Italy
"We are grateful to him for the tireless and difficult work he
carried out unstintingly against all forms of totalitarianism,
violence, oppression and moral degradation, all in the name of the
values of the Catholic Church, which are the supreme values of human
dignity and solidarity."
--- --- ---
George W. Bush, president of the United States
"Pope John Paul II was, himself, an inspiration to millions of
Americans, and to so many more throughout the world. We will always
remember the humble, wise and fearless priest who became one of
history's great moral leaders. We're grateful to God for sending such
a man, a son of Poland, who became the Bishop of Rome, and a hero for
the ages."
--- --- ---
Gerhard Schröder, German chancellor
The Pope had "influenced the peaceful integration of Europe in
many ways. By his efforts and through his impressive personality, he
changed our world."
--- --- ---
Lech Walesa, former Polish president and Solidarity leader
"I think we shall keep discovering how much the Holy Father
worked for us and struggled for us. He spoke to us through his illness
and through his suffering served to the very end.
"Without him there would be no end of communism or at least -- it
would have come -- much later and the end would have been
bloody."
--- --- ---
Shimon Peres, vice premier of Israel
The Pope "embodied the best that is within all mankind as well as
the commonness of humanity. ... His actions and statements transformed
relations between the Catholic and Jewish faiths, and made a
fundamental impact on the struggle against anti-Semitism."
--- --- ---
Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian leader
"We will miss him as a distinguished religious figure, who
devoted his life to defending the values of peace, freedom and
equality."
--- --- ---
Fidel Castro, president of Cuba
"Humanity will preserve an emotional memory of the tireless work
of His Holiness John Paul II in favor of peace, justice and solidarity
among all people."
--- --- ---
Mohammad Khatami, Iranian president
"It is with extreme sadness that we hear of the passing of the
leader of the world's Catholics, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, who
commanded the three paths of religious learning, philosophical thought
and poetical and artistic creativity."
--- --- ---
Kofi Annan, U.N. secretary-general
"Quite apart from his role as a spiritual guide to more than a
billion men, women and children, he was a tireless advocate of peace,
a true pioneer in interfaith dialogue and a strong force for critical
self-evaluation by the Church itself."
--- --- ---
Gloria Arroyo, president of the Philippines
"He was a holy champion of the Filipino family and of profound
Christian values that make everyone of us contemplate ... what is
just, moral and sacred in life."
--- --- ---
Vicente Fox, president of Mexico
"John Paul II was an exceptional man, his legacy will transcend
generations."
--- --- ---
Jacques Chirac, president of France
[History] "will retain the imprint and the memory of this
exceptional sovereign pontiff, whose charisma, conviction and
compassion carried the evangelical message with unprecedented
resonance on the international stage."
--- --- ---
Tony Blair, prime minister of the United Kingdom
"The world has lost a religious leader who was revered across
people of all faiths and none. He was an inspiration, a man of
extraordinary faith, dignity and courage."
--- --- ---
Mary McAleese, president of Ireland
"His trust in the future, his never-wavering commitment to the
worth of each human life and his witness under the burden of personal
suffering constituted a sign of great value in the modern age."
--- --- ---
Levy Mwanawasa, president of Zambia
"To the departed Holy Father, I say we believe that it is not
your wish to mourn you in our grief but to celebrate the achievements
you humbly made to realize and emulate your life. But if you see tears
rolling in our eyes, it is because we cannot bear saying farewell dear
father."
--- --- ---
Armando Guebuza, president of Mozambique
Mozambican President Armando Guebuza described the death of John Paul
II as an "irreplaceable loss" for the Mozambican people,
because of the Pope's "tireless collaboration and dedication to
the promotion of human and social development."
--- --- ---
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, president of India
"The demise of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II was received with
deep shock and profound sorrow, by the people of India who considered
him a champion of world peace and harmony. His was an endearing voice
of reason against all forms of intolerance, inhumanity and injustice.
His ceaseless efforts to advocate the cause of human values will
always be remembered as the beacon of hope against the daunting
challenges of today's world."
--- --- ---
Álvaro Uribe, president of Colombia
The new generations that have only known one Pontiff, who today
experience his loss, have in His Holiness a model of democracy,
solidarity, of fighting without giving in. A model of peace and love,
without exception or hate.
--- --- ---
John Howard, prime minister of Australia
"The Pope was an inspirational leader not only to 1 billion
Catholics around the world but he was an exemplar of the Christian
life for all Christians."
--- --- ---
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil
"The death of Pope John Paul II profoundly saddens the Brazilian
people. His three visits to Brazil are still remembered with vivid
emotion. ... Brazil feels sorrowful for the loss of one of the men who
positively marked the course of contemporary history."
--- --- ---
Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet president
"I mourn his loss. We knew it was coming to this. What can I say
-- it must have been the will of God. He acted really courageously.
His devotion to his followers is a remarkable example to all of
us."
--- --- ---
José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission
"Europeans will never forget his fight for peace and human
dignity."
--- --- ---
General Musharraf, president of Pakistan
"The Pope had rendered incredible services for peace, had brought
people closer belonging to different faiths."
--- --- ---
Olusegun Obasanjo, president of Nigeria
"Pope John Paul II was not only the leader of Catholics around
the world, including Nigeria, but also showed commitment and courage
in his quest for mutual tolerance, harmony and unity among the world's
religions."
--- --- ---
Vaclav Klaus, president of the Czech Republic
"I consider John Paul II to be one of the most outstanding
personalities of the whole 20th century. He was a wise and sensitive
man, who dedicated his entire life to the ideals of love to man,
ideals of human kindness, humility, helping the weak ones, peace,
human freedom, dignity, and responsibility. In a fundamental way he
influenced the struggle for democracy in the countries of the
Communist bloc and it was also his merit that these countries live in
freedom again."
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What Church Leaders Say About
the Pope
"A Most Worthy Successor of the Humble Fisherman of Galilee"
ROME, APRIL 9, 2005 (Zenit.org).-
Throughout the week, praise for the person of John Paul II came from
many corners, including the political realm. Below is a sampling of
what world leader said about the late Pope.
* * *
Archbishop Sean O'Malley of Boston
"In the Holy Year of 2000, the Holy Father called for all to
'Open Wide the Doors to Christ,' to follow Christ not out of
obligation but out of love. Pope John Paul II's life mirrored this
call as each day he opened himself to being an instrument of
unapologetic truth on moral and ethical issues facing our culture. I
pray that the Lord will grant grace upon grace to his faithful servant
and will welcome him into the eternal light and peace of God’s
heavenly kingdom."
--- --- ---
Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York
"He carried the Gospel into all corners of the world, proclaiming
the dignity of every human being, the rights of the poor, and the
evils of war 'in season and out of season.' In brief, he was a most
worthy successor of the humble fisherman of Galilee upon whom the Lord
built his Church."
--- --- ---
Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago
"Moral authority comes from office, but also from character.
Karol Wojtyla was a survivor of Nazi-occupied Poland and its Communist
successor government. He was a sportsman, an actor, a philosopher, and
a poet. All of that captured people's imagination in a novel way, and
he used all that he was to direct attention beyond himself to the One
whose vicar he had become. In the past few years, he drew attention to
Christ through his public fortitude in his sufferings, which conformed
him personally ever more closely to Christ."
--- --- ---
Archbishop Charles Chaput, archbishop of Denver
"Pope John Paul II embodied the greatest qualities of the Second
Vatican Council: a deep fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Gospel;
profound confidence and joy in the Catholic faith; an openness to the
good in the world; fraternal love for other Christians and the Jewish
people; and a respect for all persons of good will. He knew personal
suffering throughout his life. He experienced the cost of war,
genocide and political oppression firsthand. These things never dented
his faith. They did the opposite. They led him more deeply into the
heart of God."
--- --- ---
Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia
"It was with deep sadness that I received the news of Pope John
Paul II's passing. It was also with gratitude to God for the gift of
the Holy Father. He will surely be remembered as the greatest
spiritual leader of our time. His entire life was an example of how to
live out our faith, how to give witness to the love of our Lord Jesus
Christ. The Holy Father gave himself completely in service to Jesus
and to the universal Church. In his final years, he suffered from many
physical ailments but he never allowed those pains and problems to
weigh down his spirit; his suffering was his final gift. He was an
example to us all of the value of human life at every stage of
existence."
--- --- ---
Archbishop Brendan O'Brien, president of the Canadian bishops'
conference
"Through both word and example he taught the strength of faith,
the power of prayer, the need to forgive, and the imperative of
serving the poor and oppressed of the world. His teachings will
continue to guide the Church in the years ahead in its mission of
proclaiming the Reign of God."
--- --- ---
Caritas Internationalis
"Throughout his life, Pope John Paul II responded with compassion
to the problems of the world, and inspired us with his dedication to
the people we serve -- the poor, the hungry, the displaced and all
those who cry out for justice and an end to suffering. His words grace
the walls of museums and slums alike, inspiring both the wealthy and
poor with his message of hope."
--- --- ---
Cardinal George Pell, archbishop of Sydney
"He has been a genuine man of the spirit, a true priest. His
example and teaching have encouraged orthodox Catholics everywhere to
persevere. I personally can vouch for that. He has inspired thousands,
perhaps tens of thousands, into the priesthood and religious life.
"Even in the West he has steadied the ship. If many were still
resolved to be irresolute, solid only for drift, there has been no
doubt about where he is heading. He has never lacked courage and
courage is contagious. History will know him as John Paul the Great.
He has earned that distinction."
--- --- ---
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster
"We have lost a great leader of our modern world. John Paul II
was an extraordinary man, one of the greatest popes in the Church's
2,000-year history. We will remember him for his tireless witness to
hope, to freedom, and to the dignity of human life. We will remember
him for his courage in reaching across the boundaries of race,
religion and ideology; we will remember him for his energy, as well as
for his courageous endurance of physical suffering right until the
end.
"John Paul II was always conscious of the drama of human
salvation; he reminded us, tirelessly, of our eternal destiny. He
showed, in his own life, how human beings are at their greatest and
most free when they are most obedient to God’s will. His was a light
that burned most strongly wherever the darkness was deepest. The
Church will miss him. The world will miss him. I will miss him."
--- --- ---
Archbishop Sean Brady, archbishop of Armagh and primate of All Ireland
"He was a man of our time, yet not afraid to challenge the
culture and values of our age. He gave it reasons for living and
reasons for hope. He was also ahead of our time in his message of
global solidarity, his vision of a civilization of love among all the
people and nations of the world, in his respect for the human person
and, to the very moment of his death, in his powerful witness to the
Gospel of life. He was in every sense a witness to hope and a champion
of life.
"The deep sense of peace and serenity which accompanied him into
death, was of course, rooted in his life of frequent prayer and
contemplation, particularly his prayer before the blessed sacrament.
His deep and intimate relationship with Christ was the source of his
great calm and courage in the face of so many challenges, not least
the physical challenges of his later years. He often repeated the
words of Jesus, 'Do not be afraid.'"
--- --- ---
Italian bishops' conference
"We ask everyone to gather themselves in prayer so that the Pope,
who from the beginning of his pontificate invited us to open the doors
to Christ, may now receive the embrace of Him, the Lord of life, who
he announced in such an indefatigable way to all men and in every
corner of the Earth. Our prayer becomes also an expression of
gratitude to God, for the extraordinary gift he made to the Church and
the world through the person and teachings of John Paul II."
--- --- ---
Spanish bishops' conference
"We all owe him deep gratitude for his faithful and unconditional
dedication to the cause of the Gospel and to the mission received from
Our Lord to confirm his brothers in the faith. His abnegated apostolic
service became even more evident, if this were possible, in his
suffering and sickness. Today, Catholics in the whole world, thanks to
his ministry, feel stronger in our faith in Jesus Christ, more
inspired by the hope of Glory and more decided in the charity that
makes us sons of God and brothers to all men."
--- --- ---
Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community
"As the Servant of the servants of God, Pope John Paul II was a
pope of universal vision in his teaching and in his pastoral outreach.
He was a Pope for the globalizing world; he proclaimed the universal
message of Christ as the source of true hope for humanity. His vision
of human dignity -- rooted in the person of Jesus Christ, in whom God
lived, suffered, died and rose from the dead -- was inextricably
linked to the common good of all of humanity. Through this vision he
sought to build bridges between peoples everywhere. He took particular
pains to deepen ecumenical understanding between the Christian
confessions, as well as to promote and strengthen interfaith
relations."
--- --- ---
Mexican bishops' conference
"The bishops of Mexico feel along with the whole Church a
profound sorrow for the death of the Holy Father. However, with faith
we proclaim with joy the happy passing to God’s embrace. We are also
thankful for the grace-filled treasure of this pastor, who from his
first visit to our country, unleashed a process of pastoral dynamism
that has enormously strengthened us."
--- --- ---
Cardinal Jaime Sin, retired archbishop of Manila, Philippines
"The Church has lost a Father and a Shepherd and I have also lost
a brother and a good friend."
--- --- ---
Archbishop Evarist Pinto, archbishop of Karachi, Pakistan
The Pontiff was a "beloved father and kind-hearted pastor, a
charismatic and dynamic leader, a champion for justice and human
rights, the defender of the poor and the oppressed."
--- --- ---
Bishop Joseph Zen of Hong Kong
"Farewell to a great and beloved world wide spiritual leader. To
witness to the truth is the fundamental mission of the Church ... the
Holy Father courageously preached the Gospel of life emphasizing the
sacredness of marriage and the importance of family. He defended each
human life from conception to its natural end. My feeling at this
moment is one of deep gratitude and lofty praise to the Lord. He
worked marvels through this Pope from far off Poland. Certainly one of
his regrets was not having had the chance to visit China. ...
"Dear Holy Father, now that you are with the Father in heaven,
bless your flock in China. May the suffering on your deathbed complete
your prayers and obtain the grace that the Chinese people may one day
know Jesus Christ and be converted to God."
--- --- ---
Cardinal Jaime Ortega, archbishop of Havana
"This is a man who has carried the moral weight of the world for
26 years … turning himself into the only moral reference for
humanity in recent years of wars and difficulties."
--- --- ---
Southern African Catholic bishops' conference
"With great sadness we mourn the death of John Paul II, while we
are profoundly grateful for the many results that the Lord our God has
attained through his tireless efforts to bring people closer to God
and one closer to the other."
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What Leaders in Other Faiths
Say
"An Extraordinary 'Lived Sermon' for Eastertide"
ROME, APRIL 9, 2005 (Zenit.org).-
Accolades for John Paul II came from many non-Catholics, as this
sampling shows.
* * *
Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los
Angeles
"No Pope did more for the Jews."
--- --- ---
New York Board of Rabbis
"We will lovingly remember his historic visits to the Great
Synagogue in Rome, a concentration camp in Auschwitz (Poland) and the
Western Wall in Jerusalem, as he stood with us in spiritual
solidarity. Declaring anti-Semitism a sin against God and humanity,
the Pope repeatedly reminded the world that we could never again
remain silent while people perish because of their race or
religion."
--- --- ---
Rowan Williams, Anglican archbishop of Canterbury
"I think in these past few days, we've seen an extraordinary
'lived sermon' for Eastertide, about facing death with honesty and
courage; facing death in the hope of a relationship which is not
broken by death but continues beyond it. Pope John Paul showed his
character in the way in which he met his death; clearly frustrated,
clearly suffering, and yet at every point accepting; facing his
frailties and remaining courageous and hopeful. I feel there's a
certain appropriateness about the fact that he died within the Easter
season -- a time of the Church's year which meant so much to him. It
has been a season in which he was able to give a message to the whole
of the Christian world, and in fact to the whole human world, that
won't be readily forgotten."
--- --- ---
Billy Graham, U.S. evangelist
Pope John Paul II was "unquestionably the most influential voice
for morality and peace in the world during the last 100 years. He was
convinced that the complex problems of our world are ultimately moral
and spiritual in nature, and only Christ can set us free from the
shackles of sin and greed and violence."
--- --- ---
Mark Hanson, president of the Lutheran World Federation
"Lutherans will always remember John Paul II as the pope who
fostered an unprecedented growth in Lutheran/Roman Catholic relations.
Healing the wounds laid bare during the 16th-century Reformation took
on new meaning as the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of
Justification was signed in 1999. We live in new hope that the Spirit
of the Living Christ will continue that work and bring about an even
stronger relationship between the two church bodies."
--- --- ---
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious
Liberties Commission
"He rallied the captive nations of Eastern Europe to throw off
the yoke of Soviet communism. Furthermore, he emerged as one of the
most eloquent spokesmen anywhere in the world for religious freedom
for all human beings as a universal right, and for the sanctity of all
human life from conception to natural death and everywhere in
between."
--- --- ---
The Reverend Frank Griswold, leader of the U.S. Episcopal Church
"Like the householder in the Gospel he was able to bring out of
the treasure of his own deep spirit things 'both new and old.' His
voice and moral authority gave inspiration and hope to millions well
beyond the Roman Catholic Church. His commitment to the unity of the
church expressed itself in his personal willingness to meet with
representatives of other faith communities and to invite those outside
his own tradition to reflect on how the ministry of the Bishop of Rome
might be of greater service both in the cause of Christian unity and
the well-being of the world."
--- --- ---
Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals
"Pope John Paul II has stood with us strongly all over the free
world in defending heterosexual, monogamous marriage and defending the
fact that a fetus is a human being."
--- --- ---
Gregorius III Lahham, Greek Melkite patriarch of Damascus
The Pontiff was a "new John the Baptist" because like the
original one he was "a voice who cried in the desert to prepare
the ways of the Lord; he wiped hypocrisy and sin before our Risen
Lord."
--- --- ---
The Dalai Lama
"In spite of increasing age and declining physical health, his
relentless efforts to visit different parts of the world and meet the
people who lived there to promote harmony and spiritual values,
exemplified not only his deep concern but also the courage he brought
to fulfilling it."
--- --- ---
Patriarch Alexy II, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church
"Pope John Paul personally, and his works and ideas, have had a
strong impact on the world."
--- --- ---
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the
world's Orthodox Christians
"Pope John Paul II envisioned the restoration of the unity of the
Christians and he worked for its realization."
--- --- ---
Orthodox Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of
the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow
Patriarchate
"The last days of John Paul II were marked by qualities, which
have gained him respect of all people. He endured his sufferings with
strong faith, thus making millions of people to admire his courage. I
sincerely hope that his memory will serve the cause of building up
good relations between our Churches and will be the pledge for
overcoming the present difficulties. I pray to the Lord Jesus Christ
for the repose of the soul of His Holiness Pope John Paul II."
--- --- ---
Pope Shenouda III, Coptic Church
"I would like to extend to you my most heartfelt sympathies on
the death of H.H. Pope John Paul II after he guided the Church
throughout 26 years. During this period he was highly respected and
honored by the peoples of the whole world. He was also highly praised
for his personal qualities and his participation in the ecumenical
work and the relationship between the Catholic Church and the rest of
the churches of the world."
--- --- ---
Clifton Kirkpatrick, president, World Alliance of Reformed Churches
"We give thanks to God for the impact Pope John Paul II has made
in his lifetime as a leader. We give thanks for a ministry in which,
as a priest, bishop, and head of the Roman Catholic Church, he sought
to bear witness to the Gospel in the contemporary world."
--- --- ---
Catholicos Aram I, World Council of Churches central committee
moderator
"His Holiness Pope John Paul II will remain an outstanding figure
in the modern history of world Christendom. In fact, his relentless
effort to make the Gospel of Christ a living reality in the life of
people, his unyielding prophetic witness to make the moral values the
guiding principles of human societies, his firm commitment to the
cause of Christian unity, his openness to other religions with a clear
vision of living together as a reconciled community in the midst of
diversities, and his continuous advocacy for justice, human rights and
freedom made him an exceptional figure of great achievements. As
moderator of the World Council of Churches central committee and as
the Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia, I had the privilege to meet His
Holiness on different occasions and witnessed the strength of his
faith, the depth of his wisdom and the clarity of his vision."
--- --- ---
John Neill, Church of Ireland archbishop of Dublin
"His vision for the healing of the divisions of Christendom was
lived out at a difficult time on the ecumenical journey -- when we had
passed beyond the euphoria of the friendship arising from Vatican II
-- and were at the more difficult stage of looking at not only what
unites, but trying to understand somewhat more of what divides. It was
often simply the friendship and warmth of John Paul II that allowed
differences to remain differences between brothers and sisters in
Christ -- family differences."
--- --- ---
Reverend Dr. Keith Clements, general secretary of the Conference of
European Churches
"For the churches and peoples of Europe John Paul II was a figure
of special significance. As a son of Poland he bore in his own life so
much of the most tragic experience of Europe in the twentieth century
brought by war and oppression, first under Nazi occupation and then
under communist totalitarianism. Equally, under these experiences he
embodied the finest spirit of European Christianity in refusing to
compromise either his faith or his humanity.
"As a leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland it was he who
did so much to inspire the cause of freedom and human rights both in
his native country and further afield in Eastern Europe. His place in
the history of change in Europe during the last quarter of the 20th
century is secure. So too is his record during his long pontificate,
of advocating the cause of greater European unity, the building of a
'common European house' in which the Christianity of both east and
west has to share."
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