'THE GREATNESS' OF THE SERVANT OF GOD JOHN PAUL THE GREAT

One of our readers inquired why our dear Bro. Marwil Llasos called Pope John Paul II 'Great'. It led me to reflect also because the title 'Great' is given only by popular acclamation to some Popes who had served the Church extraordinarily under extraodinary situations. Of course we know Pope St. Gregory the Great and Pope St. Leo the Great who are both Doctors of the Church and have saved the Church during great crisis. Leo protected the Church from the onslought of Attila the Hun and Gregory did the same from the barbarians.

Is John Paul II worthy to be called 'The Great'? I think so. Well, let us bear in mind that this title is not 'officially designated'. It is a popular acclaim by the people and even during the lifetime of JP2 this title was already being attached to him. I think even the secular press reported it during his funeral. Now, I checked the net and Googled 'John Paul the Great' and I was so surprised to see a lot of people and institutions immortalizing this title on the name John Paul II. I respect people who don't want to use add the title though because it is not cumpolsary. Here are some reasons I believe are enough ground for him to be of equal footing with Leo and Gregory:

The Servant of God POPE JOHN PAUL THE GREAT

1. He is the first ever Pope to have visited his flock all over the world. No one has ever done that. By doing so he strengthened the faith of millions and brought inspiration to the hearts of many including non-Catholics. He inspired me with his personal visits in our country and I have seen friends who have become Born Again returned to the Catholic Faith after seeing him in person. They said 'Iba talaga ang original'.

2. He is the greatest Defender of Life in our century together with Mother Teresa of Calcutta. He didn't just issued Encyclical letters [Veritatis Splendor and Evangelium Vitae] to proclaim the faith. He fought publicly against the powerful Clinton administration and the U.N. sponsored Conferences to defend the value of life.

3. Both the Communists and the political leaders of Eastern Europe consider him as one of the two persons responsible for the Collapse of Communism in the region. The other one was Pres. Ronald Reagan of the United States. Both Lech Walesa of Poland, Vaclav Havel of Chekoslovakia and Boris Yeltsin of Russia testified to it. John Paul II was the immovable rock that crushed the Red Dragon of Communism by his support of the Church in Poland and through his strong devotion to Our Lady.

4. He is an Apostle of Youth. During the time that the youth were leaving the Church and attracted to drugs, sex and rebellion this Pope gathered the Youth of the world in a series of encounter with him and dispelled the myths that the Youth is against the Church and against the Pope. What came out instead is that the faithful youth of the world far outnumber those who were gathering in rock concerts and in political rallies.

5. He gave the Church a Universal Catechism to guide our Faith. In the History of the Church only two Popes were able to accomplish such a magnificent project. One was Pope St. Pius V when he issued the Catechism of the Council of Trent and the other John Paul II when he issued the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Actually, the CCC is more comprehensive than that of the Council of Trent and the citations of the Scriptures and Patristic Sources and the works of the Doctors of the Church are more generously given.

6. His development of the theology of the Body and the catechesis of the Family are greatly developed and highly elucidated.

7. He is a man of great holiness. Even his enemies are admitting this. He is a man of great prayer and intense meditation spending ours and hours in silent prayer despite the fact that he is a very active shepherd of the flock.

8. He is a man of great courage who befriended Jews and during the time when doing so could put his life in danger. When he visited Israel a woman testified that when she went out of a concentration camp in Poland, she collapsed on the way. Then a young and very handsome seminarian in black cassock carried her in his shoulders. That seminarian was Karol Wojtila. It was an act of a Good Samaritan and it was the living image of a Good Shepherd.

All Popes from St. Peter to Pope Benedict XVI were criticized and attacked viciously. All of them suffered a lot and had encountered severe crisis in the Church. John Paul II is one of those who rose to the challenges. He confronted the enemies headlong and emerged victorious. He didn't solve all the problems of the Church during his pontificate as had happened to St. Peter, Leo the Great, Gregory the Great, St. Pius V [the Reformation went on], Pius IX and Pius XII and others. There were areas that he failed yet failure is common to all but his greatness lies in his countless achievements.

This title is given to him by many even during his lifetime. Now, his tomb is visited by thousands on a daily basis, his statues are being erected the world over in his honor, universities and colleges named after him, books are written about him and they are bearing the title JOHN PAUL THE GREAT.

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BEHOLD A SLAVIC POPE

Amid discord the Lord God strikes

An immense bell,

Behold, for a Slavic pope

He opens a throne.

This one does not flee before swords

Like that Italian.

He is daring, like God, he goes to the sword:

The world to him is powder!

His face is radiant with the Word,

A lamp for the servant,

Because of him the advancing race goes

Into the light, where God is.

At his prayers and commands

Not only men—

If he commands, the sun stops,

For power—this is a wonder!

Now he draws near—the new dispenser

Of vigor to the globe:

The blood of our veins goes back into our veins

Under his word;

In our hearts the movement begins of floods

Of divine light,

What thought thinks through him, this is created,

For power—this is Spirit.

And power is needed, that we may raise

This lordly world:

Thus here comes a Slavic pope,

A brother of the people;–

Behold, he already pours the world's balm

On our breasts

And the angel-choir sweeps flowers

Toward his throne.

He distributes love, as lords today

Distributes arms.

He displays sacramental power,

The world held in his palm;

To him a dove wings words in hymns,

Bears a report,

Sweet news, that now the Spirit shines

And has His honor;

Above him the beautiful sky is opened

From either side,

For his is grounded in the world and thus are renewed

Both world and throne.

Across nations he acts as brother,

The voice sent forth,

That spirits come to their final end

Through mounds of sacrifices;

Sacramental power avails him for the care

Of the nations,

Power which will be seen through the Spirit

Beofre the coffin here.

In Spirit thus you soon perceive

A phantom, then a face:

From the world's wound he casts out all corruption,

Vermin, reptiles.

He brings health, enkindles love

And saves the world;

He sweeps out the interior of the Churches,

Clears out the entrance,

He shows forth God in the world of creativity,

Bright as day.

Juliusz Slowacki (1809 - 1849)

Translation: Copyright by The Dominican Nuns of Summit, New Jersey, 1980