THE DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL II -- (Senate - April 12, 2005)
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Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, with the passing of Pope John Paul II, I take this opportunity to pay homage to one of the great spiritual leaders of our time. He was a truly gifted religious leader who touched people all over the world: young and old, rich and poor, the powerful and the underprivileged, Catholics and non-Catholics.
Pope John Paul II defied political labels and was constant in his beliefs. For him, defending life included opposing capital punishment and recourse to war as well as opposing abortion. Defending families meant a commitment to faith and moral uprightness, but it also meant standing up for just wages and a social safety net. These beliefs and convictions made him a respected leader all over the world.
One of John Paul's strengths was reaching out to young adults. World Youth Day was established by the Pope on Palm Sunday, 1984. He invited the Youth of Rome to celebrate the Holy Year of Redemption with him at Saint Peter's Square. It was a great success. Building upon this success and its popularity, the Pope held this worldwide event every 3 years.
Over the last 20 years, millions of young people from hundreds of countries have participated in World Youth
Day. One young woman who attended said that young people loved the Pope because the Pope loved them: ``People think that teenagers and young people are just out there and reckless, but he didn't see it that way. He said, `You are the future and I love you for that.' ''
The world is now mourning the death of Pope John Paul II. In parishes from the Americas to Europe to Africa to Asia, millions are paying tribute to a leader whose central message was love, respect, faith and responsibility to our fellow man. That example is his legacy, and regardless of our individual faiths, it is an example for all of us of how to live and relate to our neighbors. May God grant Pope John Paul II eternal rest and peace, and we thank him for a life lived in the service of people everywhere.
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