Reflection on the late pontiff from
Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein

Many people knew no other pope than John Paul II. His lengthy pontificate and the impact of his stature mark the papacy like no other in recent history. His vision of a new Christian millennium was a running theme through his years as the Vicar of Christ and successor to Peter.

The world was his mission. Truly he became an international pastor. Certainly his visitation of every continent and many countries made his pastoring visible and concrete. But it was also the power of his personal charisma buttressed by his powerful teaching that marked him as a world leader even in the latter years of his illness. Unlike many political leaders, Pope John Paul had a worldview, that is, he was not provincial or parochial in his thinking.

In a world of relativism, secular materialism and individualism, this pope held to a consistent vision of the truth that valued human life in all its dimensions. His encyclicals, The Gospel of Life and The Splendor of the Truth, his teachings on faith and reason drew lines in the sand when the secular culture was shifting. His teaching on the sacredness of the human body is groundbreaking. He authorized and promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which provides a normative teaching of the Catholic faith for contemporary times.

John Paul II was a true teacher for the Church in the modern world. I have often said that the writings of this pope will be mined for decades to come. He was not only a prolific teacher, but also a profound one.

In my opinion, these teachings of the Pope qualify him to be regarded among those popes called “the Great” in our history. True, his teachings were not and are not always popularly received. I recall my first personal audience with Pope John Paul II for obvious reasons. But the conclusion of the visit sticks in my mind. As we were parting the Holy Father asked if there was anything else I would like to say. I said, “Yes, thanks for being a good pope.” He laughed and replied, “Not everybody thinks so, but that is OK .” I have a photograph that recorded that concluding encounter.

When John Paul II spoke of the dignity of the human person, he did so with measured conviction. I think that was true because he had experienced oppression personally as a young man, as a priest and as a bishop in Poland. He had suffered the reality of totalitarian regimes. What surfaced in his mind and heart was the confident conviction that the dignity of the human person would win over atheistic ideologies.

John Paul’s flint-like determination to preach the truth particularly about the dignity of the human person may have given the impression that he was a daunting personality. In fact, in person, one experienced that his power was embedded in warmth and subtle humor. One was not uncomfortable in his presence.

I was privileged to be present for most of the World Youth Days during John Paul’s pontificate. They were a new phenomenon inaugurated as a significant program of his worldwide pastoring. His “connection” with youth even in gatherings of hundreds of thousands was amazing. Young people seem to have a sense for authenticity in human encounter. I believe this pope’s unquestionable integrity and consistency in his message and his life struck a chord with youth who do not always find this kind of stability on which they can rely in our culture.

John Paul II was a credible spokesman for the poor. He was credible not only because he grew up in relative poverty but also because he gave his all for the ministry of the Church. He claimed little time and certainly few amenities for himself. He used his weekly personal day—Tuesday—for his writing and reading. Not surprisingly, John Paul II was a consistent champion of workers and the poor. His great feeling for the dignity of work came with the calloused hands of the hard work smashing rocks in the mines. He had a deep feeling for those for whom work is their only possible source of personal human dignity. He had been there. He said quite bluntly: “The Church is on the side of the poor and that is where she must stay.”

In the future this pope will be remembered for mainstreaming ecumenism in challenging circumstances. If he experienced any disappointment in his mission as successor to Peter, it might have been that progress toward Christian unity failed to meet his prayerful hopes.

In his latter years, John Paul II was a striking witness to the salvific value of suffering. And he lifted up the vital role of the aged in our Church—a welcome message.

May he enjoy the eternal reward of his remarkable ministry. †