Karol Wojtyla - John Paul II

In the Churches of Christ, we have a long history of holding the Roman Catholic Church as suspect (at best). You can read through the proceedings of Campbell’s debate with Purcell on the Catholic Religion, or you can flip through the pages of the Millennial Harbinger or the Gospel Advocate and read scathing comments on the ‘papists’. This is not unique to our tribe. You can flip through the writing of most Protestant groups and find similar sentiments.

The world has changed and is continuing to change. In light of the events of the last week, I find it hard not to make some comment on the death of Pope John Paul II, a passionate servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have thought for several days about what I might say in this blog, about how to describe the important role this man played in the Church and in the world during his papacy, but when I opened my email account at church last night, someone had already written a beautiful and poignant eulogy…

“He was an actor in an underground theater during the Nazi regime. He worked as a stone cutter. He was a brilliant philosopher. He sparked a religious revival in communist Poland and backed a non-violent workers revolution that eventually led to the end of soviet communism. He played a vital role in Vatican II, helping to revive the Catholic Church world-wide. He spoke truth to powerful regimes and helped nations recover their Christian history and culture. He hiked. He skied. He laughed. He stood against an onslaught of modern secular philosophies, arguing for the gospel, for life, for humanity, and for human rights. He worked for reconciliation and unity among the world's Christian Churches. He led historic inter-faith dialogues. He was an evangelist to the poor and oppressed around the world. Who has been a greater witness for Christ in our time?”

The world and the RCC have changed greatly since John Paul II began his papacy. In just one major example, the center of Christianity is now in the Southern hemisphere. The role of the Pope will continue to metamorphosize as the world continues to change. John Paul II not only adapted to the changes in the world; he was a catalyst of change. What the RCC & the world need is someone who can humbly follow in rather large footsteps left by John Paul II. May the grace of God be with the conclave of Cardinals as they choose JPII's successor.