It’s already becoming fashionable to refer to him as ‘John Paul the Great’.
How could anyone sum up his life, his contribution to world history, his holiness, his achievements within a few days of his death. It is impossible.
We have read and seen so much about him in the media. The world is almost at a standstill; even royal weddings get pushed aside for his funeral. World leaders and over two million people are expected in Rome on Friday to farewell a man who has been our spiritual father, and grandfather for nearly 27 years, becoming the 3rd longest serving pope in history.
His death has been a very transparent affair. The Vatican has been very open and public about his suffering and his dying. At 9:37 pm last Saturday evening, Rome time, he was pronounced dead, after the prayers for the dying, Holy Communion, and the Rites for a dead Pope. He died at the end of Mass of Divine Mercy, a Feast he initiated during his pontificate. A small silver hammer would have been tapped on his forehead three times, and the cardinal camerlengo would have announced his baptismal name three times, ‘Karol Wotjtila, are you dead ?’ after the third time, his ring, the symbol of his authority, was broken and his private apartments were sealed.
His earthly life has ended. The world is now in mourning for him, and our prayers are offered for the repose of his soul, as they are for anyone who dies. Our prayers, and above all the Mass, make a great difference to our future destiny.
John Paul was above all things a man of God. A priest, a bishop, a Pope, a world leader, a head of state, but a man of God. He never ceased to preach and witness to the Lord. He made 104 pastoral voyages outside Italy, coming twice to Australia as Pope in 1986 and 1995. He made 146 pastoral visits within Italy. As the Bishop of Rome he visited nearly all of the 333 parishes in that city.
His writing has been prolific. Over 84 official documents and five books. He has proclaimed more saints than all of his predecessors combined. Over 480 saints and 1300 beatii, including our own Blessed Mary of the Cross McKillop.
Over 17 and a half million people have participated in his Wednesday audiences, and nearly 1000 meetings with Heads of States and Prime Ministers. He has been a pope that has broken world records, a pope with tremendous personal energy. Purely on statistics, he has been Great.
One of the titles of the Pope is Servant – Servant of the Servants of God. He accepted this title and carried it out. He was a servant- a servant of the Gospel, a servant of Jesus Christ, a servant of the Church, and a servant of the world. In his last years he became what the prophet Isaiah called ‘the suffering servant’.
As a servant of mankind, John Paul has been a true disciple and a true servant of Vatican II. He was a very young bishop during the last Ecumenical Council. Today there are no voting cardinals that were bishops at Vatican II. But John Paul has made sure that the legacy of Vatican II will continue. Some media commentators, and even some voices of dissent inside the Church, accuse the Pope of turning back the clock, of going against the teachings of Vatican II. John Paul wrote some of the documents of Vatican II, he was one of the most active bishops at the Council.
He has used two texts very often to emphasise his teachings, particularly on the dignity of the human person. One of these tells us that the meaning of human life is be to found in self-giving. The real meaning of human life is found in self giving, not self assertion, or getting the best for me, or getting as much as I can, but happiness and fulfilment is found in self-giving.
John Paul not only taught this, but lived this. His total life was self-giving. He gave his life to God as a priest after being orphaned at an early age during the Nazi regime.
He gave his life to Poland as a voice in the wilderness for human rights and for the Church. He gave his life to the Church as a Cardinal and again in 1978 as the first non Italian Pope for over 400 years.
He kept giving his life as the Vicar of Christ on earth, as a champion of human rights, as a fearless proclaimer of peace, as a witness to the hope that the risen Christ brings to us.
He gave his life during an assassination attempt in 1981, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, whom he credits with saving his life. He was saved at the very time of the apparition of Our Lady to the three young children. A year later, to the day, he went to Fatima to thank Our Lady and place the bullet in the crown of her statue in Fatima. His devotion to the Mother of God has been an unswerving part of his life and Papacy.
He kept giving his life during the onset of his Parkinson’s disease, his last illness, and now giving his life to the Almighty God whom he served so well.
No one can sum up the life of Pope John Paul, especially in a few short days after his death. Many people have tried, and his teaching and his legacy will endure for years, and centuries to come. If the next Pope did not do anything except implement the teachings of John Paul, he would be a success. There is so much there to continue.
The boldest and most successful attempt to capture the life of John Paul was perhaps the biography, ‘Witness to Hope’, written by the American commentator and friend, George Weigel. Over 900 pages trying to summarise the life and teaching of the Pope.
Weigel said that this man cannot be understood completely by the world, he is a contradiction. He cannot be understood completely by the Church. This man can only be understood from the inside, from the perspective of his relationship with Jesus Christ, and his unswerving trust in Divine Providence.
We look at John Paul from the outside and see so much to give thanks to God for. Aided by our prayers, may the God who knows him from the inside take him to his eternal reward, give him peace, joy and happiness, and life everlasting.
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.
Amen.