Fare Thee Well Pope John Paul II

I grew up in a deeply invasive and stifling religious home. At the age of accountability, I began to learn that it was not for me. I am, however, still struggling in the aftermath. When you are told that if you do not believe that God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit is the one true God, that you are going to hell, you live in subconscious fear every day of your life.

I have a soft spot for those who dedicate their lives to a cause. Martin Luther King Jr. once said "If you haven't found something you are willing to die for, you haven't begun to live." (I'm not quoting verbatim here; but that was the sentiment.) While I'm not necessarily that hard-core of a radical that I would die for a cause, I do believe in doing things in my life "for the Greater Good". I like to think beyond myself, and think about how my actions affect others and the environment. So, I can really understand and appreciate those who live their lives in constant awareness of the world and the Human Family.

In watching the whole dying-Pontiff process (how could I escape it, except to lock myself away), I was curious about him, so I read some online biographies. People have very strong feelings toward him, one way or the other. I have not come to any conclusion myself, except to say that I am amazed that he lived such an incredibly rich life -- outstanding, as a matter of fact -- and did indeed accomplish a lot in his long life.

For those interested, I've compiled some Pope John Paul II trivia.

• The Pope not only publicly forgave Turkish gunman Ali Agca, who nearly assassinated him in May 1981 in St Peter's Square, but later met with his would-be killer in his Italian prison cell and keeps him in his daily prayers.
  
• An actor, poet and playwright in his youth, he produced many of his writings under the pen-name of Andrzej Jawie and Andrzej Gruda.
  
• As an ethics professor at the Catholic University of Lublin, he often held seminars with his students in the Tatra Mountains and took them hiking, canoeing and camping. They affectionately referred to him as wujek (uncle).
  
• He was an avid skier.
  
• The Pope rarely has time to watch television, but he did, occasionally enjoyed a televised soccer match which reminded him of his own soccer-playing youth.
  
• When he was elected to the papacy in 1978, Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italian pontiff in 455 years. What's more amazing is that he came from Poland -- a country, at the time, with a Marxist and atheist government.
  
• He has beatified more "blesseds", and canonized more saints, during his 24-year pontificate than all of the popes of the past four centuries combined. That includes Kateri Tekawitha, the first American Indian ever beatified (1980).
  
• He has traveled more than half of a million miles during his papacy, spanning 118 countries and all continents except Antarctica. To see the places His Holiness traveled, visit this map.
  
• Romania was the first Eastern Orthodox country visited by the Pontiff. He later made pilgrimages to other Orthodox strongholds including Greece, Ukraine and Bulgaria.
  
• He was the only pope to ever enter a synagogue and mosque, and meet with leaders of other faiths and religions.
  
• Within months of his election, the pope went home to Poland for a June 1979 papal visit that some historians say helped end the Cold War. He gave his blessing to an underground labor movement called 'Solidarity' that would later emerge to reshape Poland.
  
• In 1986, he became the first pope to visit a Jewish synagogue. There he spoke of how he deplored the "hatred and persecution" of the Jews throughout the centuries. In 1993, the pope presided over the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Israel.
  
• The pope's ability to reach people was aided in large part by his ability to speak several languages. Born into a Polish-speaking home, the pope began learning German at age ten; Latin at age 13; and Greek at age 14. By the time he became pontiff, the pope had mastered eight languages.
  
• In keeping with his strong political interests, he met with Cuban President Fidel Castro, and in his closing remarks condemned the U.S. economic embargo against the communist state.
  
• He recently scolded President George W. Bush face-to-face for the Iraq War.
  
• He opposes all forms of killing, including war, and teaches that God’s gift of life is only His to take. He thus differs from one-sided liberals who oppose capital punishment but support abortion and euthanasia, and equally biased conservatives, who favor the death penalty and warfare but oppose "mercy killing" and the murder of unborn babies.

Some more controversial stats:

• He once worked for a Polish chemical factory which eventually sold chemical weapons to the Nazi's during WWII.
• He fervently opposed birth control.
• He refused to let women be indoctrinated, because "Christ's disciples were all men".
• He opposed gay marriage.
• He opposed abortion.

Regardless of your thoughts on him or the Church, one thing is certain: this man leaves a huge legacy.

Current Mood: mellow

Currently listening to: Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun
Currently reading: Dogeaters by Jessica Hagerdorn
Currently watching: you, in a car, with binoculars and some doughnuts :p

Posted by La Lolita