Sunday, May 1, 2011

A magnum Pope, blessed and holy soon

It was grand in life, a qualification reserved for popes who marked history. As marked, no doubt, John Paul II the twentieth century and the beginning of XXI. Filled the Church and the world with its overwhelming charisma born leader. His illness, televised live, helped him win the hearts of the masses.

Therefore, its people, 'Papa boys' wanted to raise it to the glory of the altars on the day of his funeral. "Santo subito", by popular acclaim. On April 2, 2005 Karol Wojtyla died and left an orphan at the Catholic Church and the world. Kings, princes, presidents and prime ministers from around the world will pay homage.

At his funeral, millions of faithful present at a tearful goodbye. In the eyes of the world watched on television the wind that swayed the leaves of the Bible placed on his coffin, the cardinal was to be his successor, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he proclaimed: "We view from the window of heaven and bless us" .

Never before has a Pope had come so far to be so close to their faithful. With a life journey of a novel: a life like a rose garden filled with roses, but with many thorns. After nine years, the small 'Lolek' (Wadowice, May 18, 1920) lost her mother and at 13, his older brother. Completed high school, his family moved to Krakow and there began his studies of philosophy, interrupted by the Nazi invasion of Poland.

Signed by the Gestapo, took refuge in a garret. By day he worked in quarries and chemical company Solvay. At night, studying and saved Jewish families. And still had time to devote to the theater in a semi. Young, handsome and seductive, the girls were wearing street, but at 22 years, Christ was crossed in his life and decided to become a priest.

Entered the clandestine seminary of Archbishop Sapieha, archbishop of Krakow, and four years later, on November 1, 1946, was ordained priest. Even then archbishop promised and sent to study in Rome, where he received his doctorate in 1946 with a thesis on 'Faith in San Juan de la Cruz. " And come back to Poland, where, as pastor and university professor.

Until July 4, 1958 Pope Pius XII named him auxiliary bishop of Krakow. As an active bishop in the first session of Vatican II in 1962. The next day, Paul VI appointed him Archbishop of Krakow and in 1967 became the second youngest cardinal of the Catholic Church, with only 47 years. As a cardinal part in the conclave that elected John Paul I, Pope meteorite, and 33 days, in a new conclave in which the Cardinal come from the East is elevated to the papacy.

The first non-Italian pope in four centuries and the youngest of the twentieth century, with only 58 years. A leader in every rule that the first thing after the 'Habemus Papam', is launching one of the currencies most famous of his pontificate: "Be not afraid!". As pope, he leaves the doctrine held by the then Cardinal Ratzinger and the government of the Church in the Curia and he became the pastor of the world.

In the traveling Pope, who traveled 1.25 million miles in 104 trips to 129 countries. And the Pope of the record and the first time. It was the first to speak at a meeting and stepping on an Islamic mosque, a Lutheran church or Jewish synagogue. Even the Turkish attack Ali Agca in 1981 halted the activity of a Pope who wanted to build bridges and to that end, do not hesitate to meet with the former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev, the Japanese emperor, Akihito, the president Fidel Castro, the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Yasser Arafat, and Queen Elizabeth II of England, among many others.

The 'athlete of God', Pope's 'no war' was also a fervent opponent of unbridled capitalism and communism, and one of the main architects of the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. Dogmatic in its principles and driver of fast change in the ways of the Church under his leadership that took full advantage, as never before, the progress of the media and photogenic of a Pope who garnered controversy and praise in equal measure.

Since the beginning of his pontificate in 1978, the most progressive sectors have criticized the Pope's radical positions against abortion, contraception (I refuse to even allow condoms in the Third World to fight AIDS) or women priests . He was also pilloried for his approach to Opus Dei, the Legionaries of Christ and other neoconservative movement (its true 'legions') as well as their sharp condemnation of liberation theology.

These and other pending issues, along with its policy of washing the dirty linen of pedophilia within the institution, we are taking a painful toll on his successor. The cult of Mary, the defense of the family and his defense of traditional sexual morality were the hallmarks of this man, fragile and strong at once.

A Pope who never shied away from confronting acts "dangerous" who raised strong criticism against him. So, personally gave communion to Pinochet during his visit to Chile criticized the excesses of capitalism fierce, "in his third encyclical defended the rights of workers and the primacy over the surplus value system, defended the rights of Palestinians and was not afraid to travel to Sarajevo in the middle of the Yugoslavian conflict.

John Paul II was also the first pope to apologize for mistakes made by the Catholic Church. Also dared to 'bless' the rock and roll, applauding a live concert by Bob Dylan, with courage to condemn the Holocaust and to rehabilitate figures as Luther and Galileo were hitherto paradigm of heresy.

A Pope breaker that continues to captivate the masses. Hence, as Benedict XVI said, "when the first of May next be beatified, think of him as a great witness of God and Jesus Christ in our time, a man filled with the Holy Ghost." The great and blessed pope, who many knew.

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