Rep. Pitts honors Pope John Paul II
Rep. Pitts honors Pope John Paul II
April 7, 2005
Washington - Congressman Joe Pitts (R, PA-16) issued the following statement today in honor of the memory of Pope John Paul II and on the occasion of his funeral tomorrow.
"I join billions of Catholics and billions from other faiths around the world in mourning the loss of Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II was one of the most influential figures of the modern era.
"He provided the spiritual impetus for the fall of communism. He showed us how to be tolerant of other faiths, while holding fast to the truths of our own. And he acted as the conscience of a world struggling through severe the growing pains or progress. As we mourn the loss of this great man this week and celebrate his homecoming in heaven, we can best honor his memory and legacy by renewing our commitment to the culture of life.
"More than anyone else, John Paul II discerned that the primary cause of the 20th Century's violence was our disregard for human life and a fundamental misunderstanding of freedom. In his view, true freedom can only exist within the confines of a moral framework.
"In pointing this out, John Paul II shed light on the paradox of free societies - in order to be truly free, a citizen's freedom must operate within the bounds of moral constraints. This view joins that of our Founders who believed that virtue and religious values within the rule of law were the glue necessary to sustain a free society.
"Among the central values of the Pope's political and social framework is the dignity and sanctity of human life at all its stages. As long as our nation forgets that life is more precious than a choice, that the strong have an obligation to protect the weak, and that our laws must always favor life we will be doomed to repeat the mistakes that Pope John Paul II fought and prayed so fervently to remedy.
"Pope John Paul II's legacy will be complicated and rich in spiritual insight, much like his life. As we remember him this week, let us also rededicate ourselves to the view that the very freedoms we enjoy rise and fall only on how culture treats human life in all its stages."
http://www.house.gov/pitts/press/releases/050407r-pope.htm