John Paul Ii
(PUREPOISON)
Pope
John Paul II was one of the great figures of the 20th century. He saw
the world as his parish and himself as a pilgrim. The 264th successor
to St Peter, his pontificate was the second longest in history.
A
Pole and the first non-Italian to hold the office since the Dutchman Adrian
VI (1522-1523), Pope John Paul was a dynamic, charismatic and radical
figure on the global stage. He affirmed the world?s 1.7 billion
Catholics in their faith and reminded them of the redeeming love and forgiveness
of Christ, the cosmic battle between the forces of good and evil, and
of the importance of the sacraments as channels of grace.
Spanning
four decades and two centuries, his presence and influence was felt throughout
the world. He sought reconciliation with other Christian communities and
tried to build bridges with other religions. He spoke out in defence of
the unborn, the oppressed, the vulnerable and championed human rights.
He rejected many modern Western attitudes and upheld marriage and traditional
Catholic teaching about the place of sex in relationships. And he challenged
world leaders to strive for peace, justice, a fairer distribution of the
world?s resources and an end to poverty.
A
desire to follow in the footsteps of St Paul and take the message of Christ
to the ends of the earth made him the most travelled pope in history.
The images of him kissing the ground upon his arrival at an airport and
blessing huge roadside crowds from his ?popemobile? became
his trademarks.
A
gifted communicator and linguist, he skilfully used TV, published a number
of books, recorded two CDs of prayers, oversaw the setting up of the Vatican
web site and sent an apostolic letter to bishops by e-mail.
Underpinning
his world view was a simple trust and deep faith in the power and grace
of God, a spirituality formed out of popular Polish piety, first under
Nazism and then Communism, and one which the Virgin Mary played a key
role. His devotion to Mary was a strong guiding force in his life (his
coat of arms had the letter M on it), and he attributed his survival of
the assassination attempt in 1981 to her.
Resumos Relacionados
- The Book Of Philippians
- Philippians
- Deus Caritas Est . God Is Charity
- Epistle To The Colossians
- Roads Of The Love
|
|
