Saturday, October 22, 2011

(10) Accomplishments of Blessed Pope John Paul

        AMDG



        Note:  A few days after the beatification of Pope John Paul II on Divine Mercy Sunday in April 2010, I summarized his accomplishments from my own knowledge (he is one of my idols) and with the aid of a little research on the internet in order to share it with the University of Rio Grande Newman Club.  Today, being the feast day of Blessed John Paul and the eve of Mission Sunday 2011 when we promote mission awareness and honor our missionaries out in the field whether active, retired, or dead, it would be a most appropriate time to examine the accomplishments of this great missionary, as we are all called to be.
  
       Blessed Pope John Paul in particular was a missionary because the focus of his papacy was evangelization wherever he was.  That included deepening the faith of the faithful and bringing back the drifting and fallen away.  Thus he made many papal visits all over the world.......a total of 104 pastoral visits outside of Italy and 146 within Italy.  His importance and impact upon the world is exemplified by this special commemorative issue of time.  He appeared on the Time cover about four times during his papacy from 1978 to 2005.
 
 

   THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF BLESSED POPE JOHN PAUL

     Recently, Pope John Paul II was beatified. A committee investigated his life in great detail and authenticated one bona fide miracle. Let us take this occasion to take a rather detailed look on his major accomplishments during his papacy, which lasted from 1978 to his death in 2005. But does that that make him a saint? That alone would not be sufficient. Blessed John Paul was an unusually holy man and he demonstrated extraordinary virtue.

        Blessed John Paul was a holy man of prayer. Despite his heavy schedule, he always found time for daily Mass and prayer to the Blessed Sacrament, sometimes for hours. Between appointments or during short or long trips he would be praying the rosary......all 15 and 20 decades each day after he added the Luminous Mysteries. After all he was Mary's Pope, having dedicated his Papacy to her as shown on his coat of arms, “Totus Tuus”, meaning “All yours”.

        Pope John Paul II strove for holiness and was aware of faults to work on as we all have. Thus he had a spiritual director and utilized the graces of confession every week. Anyone would think that he didn't have anything to confess, but the holier one becomes, the more he or she realizes and recognizes his faults and sins that he never thought he had previously. Certainly, he read the very long divine office each day, as required for priests. To me it is inconceivable that a priest would fall into sexual abuse if devoutly faithful to this long daily prayer and Bible selections. It is recommended for lay people as well. Some do neglect it and get into trouble, since the devil works very hard on priests. I'm sure that the sexual abuse scandal is exactly what he was planning on.

        But today let us focus on his accomplishments during his 27 year papacy. It was very interesting to research this on the internet. You can click on the blue underlined words to obtain more detail on the cited sources through the “magic” of the internet, which can be used for great good as well as evil. This corresponds nicely with several meetings of the Newman Club we devoted to the lives of the saints.

     Recently, Pope John Paul II was beatified. A committee investigated his life in great detail, prayed for guidance, and authenticated one bona fide miracle as a sign from God. Let us take this occasion to take a rather detailed look on his major accomplishments during his papacy, which lasted from 1978 to his death in 2005. But does that that make him a saint? That alone would not be sufficient. Blessed John Paul was an unusually holy man and he demonstrated extraordinary virtue.

        Blessed John Paul was a holy man of prayer. Despite his heavy schedule, he always found time for daily Mass and prayer to the Blessed Sacrament, sometimes for hours. Between appointments or during short or long trips he would be praying the rosary......all 15 and 20 decades each day after he added the Luminous Mysteries. After all he was Mary's Pope, having dedicated his Papacy to her as shown on his coat of arms, “Totus Tuus”, meaning “All yours”.  Having lost his earthly mother early in life, he developed a deep devotion to his and our heavenly mother.

        Blessed John Paul strove for holiness and was aware of faults to work on as we all have. Thus he had a spiritual director and utilized the graces of confession every week. Anyone would think that he didn't have anything to confess, but the holier one becomes, the more he or she realizes and recognizes his faults and sins that he never thought he had previously. 

    Certainly, he read the very long divine office each day, as required for priests. To me it is inconceivable that a priest would fall into sexual abuse if devoutly faithful to this long daily prayer and Bible selections. It is recommended for lay people as well. Some priests neglect it and as a result become spiritually weak and get into trouble, since the devil works very hard on priests. I'm sure that the sexual abuse scandal is exactly what he was planning on.

        But today let us focus on his accomplishments during his 27 year papacy. It was very interesting to research this on the internet. You can click on the blue underlined words to obtain more detail on the cited sources through the “magic” of the internet, which can be used for great good as well as evil. This corresponds nicely with several meetings of the Newman Club we devoted to the lives of the saints. 
  • He made significant contributions to two of the most historic and influential products of the Vatican Council II (1962-1965), the Decree on Religious Freedom (in Latin, Dignitatis Humanae) and the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes).[7] He made sure, according to Benedict XVI, that Mary was included in the Vatican Council documents. Cardinal Wojtyła participated in all the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops.
    • In 1960, Wojtyła had published the influential book Love and Responsibility, a defense of the traditional Church teachings on sex and marriage from a new philosophical standpoint. In 1967, he was instrumental in formulating the landmark encyclical Humanae Vitae which deals with those same issues and forbids abortion and artificial birth control.[7][14].
    • John Paul II is credited by even secular sources as Time Magazine, The Economist, and many others with playing a significant part in helping to bring down Communism. According to CNN.com, Gorbachev, the former president of the Soviet Union, once said that the collapse of the Iron Curtain would have been impossible without John Paul II. He collaborated with the President Reagan and provided information to the CIA to undermine the Communist regime in Poland. His election to the papacy is credited by many with fomenting the changes in eastern Europe that eventually led to the downfall of the communist states and the emergence of democratic regimes.[1][2][3][4].
    • He made 104 pastoral visits outside Italy (including USA - 5; Poland – 5; Peru – 2; Hungary – 1) and 146 within Italy. As bishop of Rome he visited 317 of the city's 333 parishes.   John Paul II was a missionary in every sense of the word as he continually evangelized. See Redemptoris Missio (On the Permanent Validity of the Church's Missionary Mandate) December 7, 1990.
    • His love for young people brought him to establish the World Youth Days. The 19 WYDs celebrated during his pontificate brought together millions of young people from all over the world. He made being Catholic hip for a generation of young faithful who flocked to his Masses around the globe. As a young priest, Father Karol Wojtila was a college professor of Theology and worked extensively with college students, even taking them on camping trips, where he shared much wisdom. See Dilecti Amici (On the Occasion of the International Youth Year) March 31, 1985 [Apostolic Letter] and Iuvenum Patris (On St John Bosco as "Father and Teacher of Youth") January 31, 1988.
    • At the same time his care for the family was expressed in the World Meetings of Families, which he initiated in 1994. He gave great encouragement and recognition to the Apostolate of Family Consecration (Catholic Familyland) of Bloomingdale, Ohio near Steubenville. One of the top members of his Roman Curia, Cardinal Arinze has worked closely with the Apostolate for over 15 years. See Familiaris Consortio (The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World) November 22, 1981 [Apostolic Exhortation]. Also Letter to Families (Gratissimam Sane) February 2, 1994. Also Magnum Matrimonii Sacramentum (The Great Sacrament of Matrimony) October 7, 1982 [Apostolic Constitution] English / Italian.
    • Under his guidance the Church prepared herself for the third millennium and celebrated the Great Jubilee of the year 2000 in accordance with the instructions given in the Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio adveniente. See Novo Millennio Ineunte - (On the Beginning of the New Millennium) January 6, 2001 [Apostolic Letter].
    • With the Year of the Redemption, the Marian Year and the Year of the Eucharist, he promoted the spiritual renewal of the Church. See Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer) March 25, 1987 and Ecclesia De Eucharistia - (On the Eucharist in its Relationship to the Church) April 17, 2003. Also Dies Domini   (On Keeping the Lord's Day Holy) May 31, 1998 [Apostolic Letter]; Ecclesia in America (On the Church in the Americas) January 22, 1999 [Apostolic Exhortation]; Inaestamabile Donum (The Instruction Concerning Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery) from the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship), April 17, 1980; Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum (On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist) From the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacrament, March 25, 2004; Misericordia Dei - (On Certain Aspects of the Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance) April 7, 2002 [Apostolic Letter]. He wrote other documents (listed below) on improving the clergy, nuns, the consecrated life, etc.
    • He gave an extraordinary impetus to Canonizations and Beatifications, focusing on countless examples of holiness as models for the people of our time. He celebrated 147 beatification ceremonies during which he proclaimed 1,338 Blesseds; and 51 canonizations for a total of 482 saints.
    • He made St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus a Doctor of the Church. See Divini Amoris Scientia  (St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face is Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church Universal) October 19, 1997 [Apostolic Letter].
    • His most important Documents include 14 Encyclicals, 15 Apostolic Exhortations, 11 Apostolic Constitutions, and 45 Apostolic Letters. They are listed in the appendix of this little paper. Blessed John Paul has the largest body of teaching than any other pontiff.

    • He also published five books of his own: "Crossing the Threshold of Hope" (October 1994), "Gift and Mystery, on the fiftieth anniversary of my ordination as priest" (November 1996), "Roman Triptych" poetic meditations (March 2003), "Arise, Let us Be Going" (May 2004) and "Memory and Identity" (February 2005). 
       
    • He promulgated the new official Catechism of the Catholic Church in the light of Tradition as authoritatively interpreted by the Second Vatican Council. See Catechesi Tradendae (Catechesis in our Time) October 16, 1979 [Apostolic Exhortation] and Fidei Depositum (On the Publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church) October 11, 1992 [Apostolic Constitution]. Also General Directory for Catechesis [From the Congregation for the Clergy]  August 7, 1997.
    •  
    • He also reformed the Eastern and Western Codes of Canon Law, created new Institutions and reorganized the Roman Curia. See Sacrae Disciplinae Leges (For the Promulgation of the New Code of Canon Law) January 25, 1983 [Apostolic Constitution].
    •  His greatness came from his ability to summon men and women to a nobler vision of their own possibilities, under the grace of God." See Christifideles Laici  (The Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World) December 30, 1988 [Apostolic Exhortation]. Also Mulieris Dignitatem (Dignity and Vocation of Women) August 15, 1988 [Apostolic Letter].
    • He championed human dignity and the sacredness of life from conception until natural death.  See Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) March 25, 1995.
    • He championed social justice and human rights in his homilies world wide and in his encyclical Centesimus Annus (On the 100th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum - On Capitol and Labor; On Catholic social teaching) May 1, 1991. Also Laborem Exercens (On Human Work) September 14, 1981 and Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (On Social Concerns) December 30, 1987.
    • A saint is someone who does the most he can with his particular gifts from God. John Paul’s particular talents were an incredible strength and courage, a contagious joy, a spectacularly original mind, and an unprecedented ability to reach out and draw people to Christ. All of his works were works of love. And that’s why he will, God willing, someday be declared a saint: He used what God gave him. John Paul II was a man of God for God.
    • He gave people of all faiths hope and encouragement. His enthusiasm was contagious. He animated them with such phrases as” “Open wide the doors to Christ”; Put out into the deep”; “Be not afraid”; “Solidarity!”
    • He formulated the Theology of the Body, which showed the beauty of sex as God intended and the wisdom of Church teaching on human sexuality. See Karol Wojtila (1960) Love and Responsibility and his general audiences on the subject.
    • He reiterated and reinforced Church Moral Teaching. See Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth - Regarding Certain Fundamental Questions of the Church's Moral Teaching) August 6, 1993.
    • He showed the world the redemptive value of suffering with his own personal suffering in his twilight years......by uniting his/her crosses with the Lord's cross and offer it up as dynamic prayer for the Church, the missions, and a better world, a sick person can be most valuable and most productive. Refusing to step down as Pope, he said: “Did Christ come down from the cross?” The pontiff believed that his suffering could serve the Church and was needed by it. See Salvifici Doloris (The Christian Meaning of Human Suffering) February 11, 1984 [Apostolic Letter].
    • He discovered the authenticity of the revelations of Christ to St. Faustina, whom he beatified and canonized, and promoted the fact that Christ is not only a God of justice, but also a God of mercy. In turn, one should show mercy to others. He wrote his second encyclical on Divine Mercy: Dives in Misericordia (The Father of mercies and God of all comfort) November 30, 1980. He established the first Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday and promoted the concept.
    • Blessed Pope John Paul had an deep spirituality and intense love of Christ. He put his life in Christ. He would spend an hour a day in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, including a half hour before Mass, as his prayer would move into meditation as he tuned everything else out of his consciousness. His praying of the breviary and the Mass were both meditations. At the same time, he had a great devotion to Mary, as exemplified by the motto on his coat of arms, “Totus Tuus”, which implies and means “All yours, Mary, including my life”. He even used his spare moments for prayer, praying all 20 decades of the rosary every day.
    • He introduced the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, which included: 1) The Baptism of Christ; 2) The Wedding at Cana; 3) The Proclamation of the Kingdom; 4) The Transfiguration; 5) The Institution of the Eucharist. See Rosarium Virginis Mariae - (On the Most Holy Rosary) October 16, 2002 [Apostolic Letter].
    • He promoted the maintenance and the restoration of Catholic identity among Catholic institutions of higher learning, since many traditional Catholic colleges have been losing their original missions and Catholic identity. See Ex Corde Ecclesiae  (On Catholic Universities) August 15, 1990[Apostolic Constitution]. Also Sapientia Christiana (On Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties)  April 15, 1979 [Apostolic Constitution].
    • Blessed John Paul tried to reconcile Science with Faith in talks to academics and writings. See Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason) September 14, 1998. Pope Benedict XVI is pursuing the subject even more aggressively.
    APPENDIX

    List of English Language Encyclicals of John Paul II 
    (May be obtained from www.ewtn.com)
    Other Writings of John Paul II 
    (May be obtained from www.ewtn.com.)
    .


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