Special to WorldTribune.com
Today, April 27, Pope John Paul II became St. John Paul II. A record three million pilgrims flocked to Rome for his canonization.
The man known by many as John Paul the Great has been on a fast track to sainthood since his death on April 2, 2005, when millions of Catholic mourners chanted, “Santo subito!”or “Saint now!”
Pope Benedict XVI, the pope’s successor, heeded the call and waived the requisite five-year waiting period usually prescribed between the death of the candidate for sainthood and the official opening of the beatification process. Mother Teresa was the only other person to receive this fast track to sainthood.
On May 1, 2011, Pope John Paul II became Blessed John Paul II. Beatification is the last step before becoming a saint. The inexplicable healing of a French nun, Sister Marie Simon Pierre Normand, with Parkinson’s disease was the miracle that paved the way for John Paul to become “blessed.”
On July 5, 2013, Pope Francis confirmed a second miracle by Pope John Paul II, which is needed to become a saint. A Costa Rican woman with a brain aneurysm was miraculously cured after praying to the late pontiff to heal her.
John Paul, a native of Poland, took the Catholic world by storm when he was elected the 264th pope on Oct. 16, 1978. From the beginning, at the tender age of 58, he made history by being the youngest pope ever and the first non-Italian pope in 455 years to be entrusted with St. Peter’s keys.
John Paul, best known for his principled opposition to abortion, contraception, gay marriage and euthanasia, refused to cower to contemporary liberal trends. His unyielding Catholic orthodoxy throughout his 26-year tenure angered left-wing radicals both from within and outside the Catholic Church. His determination to promote a culture of life, although unpopular in liberal media circles, won him the adoration of millions throughout the world, especially among younger generations.
Christened Karol Joseph Wojtyla, he was born on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland.
In 1941, Wojtyla entered the priesthood through Krakow’s underground seminary. He was blacklisted by the Nazis in 1944 when he disappeared from the chemical plant he worked at. He was then ordained in 1946 and sent to study at the Angelicum University in Rome. In 1962, he became archbishop of Krakow. And in 1967, Pope Paul VI elevated Wojtyla to cardinal after his impressive contribution to the Second Vatican Council of 1962-1967.
From the beginning, John Paul demonstrated a fierce commitment to democracy and human rights that would characterize his reign. He was an unyielding opponent of totalitarianism, devoting his life to defeating both Nazism and Soviet Communism.
Among Pope John Paul II’s most remarkable contributions to the 20th century was his help in bringing down communism. He supported the Catholic-based solidarity labor uprising in Poland, and his friendship with Polish communist leaders led them to secretly introduce him to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
John Paul also befriended President Ronald Reagan during his trips to the United States, where the two repeatedly spoke out against the evils of communism. These two remarkable men, along with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, were pivotal in helping to usher the Soviet Empire into the dustbin of history.
Pope John Paul II also dedicated himself to promoting a culture of life, crying out for the end of abortion. His papacy was marked by an unyielding conviction for the respect and dignity of every life, from the moment of conception until natural death. He even went so far as to defy attempts by the administration of President Bill Clinton to spread abortion and contraception programs throughout the Third World. And most famously, he denounced the removal of the feeding tubes of an American woman in a vegetative state, Terri Schiavo.
During his 26-year reign, John Paul traveled extensively throughout the world, making a total of more than 100 trips outside Italy—a record that exceeds all of his 262 predecessors combined. In 1979, he made his first trip overseas to Mexico, where he confronted and warned against the evils of the Marxism-influenced liberation theology of Latin America. He also visited the United States seven times. Moreover, he was the first pope to visit the Holy Land and the first to apologize for Catholic wrongs toward other religions — notably apologizing for the wrongs inflicted on Jews during the Holocaust. He was also one of the most prolific pontificates, writing 14 encyclicals and numerous apostolic letters.
Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease nearly 15 years prior to his death, John Paul continued to preach the Gospel of life even if it meant taking unpopular positions. He criticized the rampant materialism and consumerism in the West, warning against the excesses of technology and capitalism. He opposed most forms of war on the grounds that it violated the sanctity of life, except in cases of national self-defense. He was a leading critic of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, preferring to use diplomacy and moral suasion instead of force in dealing with Arab dictators.
John Paul’s passing on April 2, 2005 came after years of suffering and numerous illnesses. His brave, stoic body had been ravaged by Parkinson’s disease, respiratory problems and ultimately, heart and kidney failure. Even in his suffering, the Holy Father remained an inspiration to millions of Catholics, as he embodied Christ’s suffering on behalf of his flock.
John Paul did not consider stepping down as pope despite his suffering; he chose to serve until his death. “John Paul II taught us, by hiding nothing from others, to suffer and to die, and that, in my opinion, is heroic,” said Pope Francis, then Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires at the time.
John Paul’s death was a watershed moment both in Vatican history and that of the West. The world lost not only a great religious and moral leader, but one of its pre-eminent theologians and philosophers, as well.
In Pope John Paul II, the world saw a saint living in our time, for all time. And from today, he will forever be etched in our hearts as St. John Paul the Great.
Loredana Vuoto is a former speechwriter for Sen. Rick Santorum. She was assistant national editor and an editorial writer at The Washington Times.
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