John Paul the Great

Tomorrow the Catholic Church will beatify Pope John Paul II. Well-known for his wide influence over the fall of Communism, his indefatiguable trodding of the nations of the world carrying out the message of Christ, his care for the youth that created the World Youth Day, his strong rule of the post-Vatican II Church, and his leadership in everything moral, John Paul II was soon recognized as the greatest pope who ever lived. His many achievements include his elevation of so many men and women to sainthood more than all his predecessors did together, his many encounters with leaders of other Churches and Christian Communions in the hope of restoring full Christian unity, his openness to other religions manifested in the Assisi Prayer for the first time in the history of Christianity, his submission to the will of God in all of his actions, and his adamant support for evangelization. The day John Paul II passed away, the millions who gathered at St. Peter's Square shouted for declaring him a saint. And distinguished theologians gave him the title John Paul the Great! It is another achievement that Pope John Paul II is being declared Blessed by his immediate successor Pope Benedict XVI in only 6 years since his death. May the prayers of John Paul II accompany the entire Church as she faces the challenges of postmodernism and fundamentalism.