Tributes to St John Paul II from
around the world
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| People gather for Mass on 17 May in Poland (ANSA) |
The 100th anniversary of Pope Saint John Paul II's birth is
being noted in various parts of the world as tributes attest.
By Francesca Merlo and Sr Bernadette Reis
One hundred years ago, the baby who would become Pope John
Paul II was born. Tributes have been pouring in from around the world to
mark this centenary.
Chief Rabbi of Poland
Amongst these is Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael
Schudrich. In an announcement made on Sunday, he noted that “No
other Pope has done more to heal the painful wounds and to effectively erase
the scourge of antisemitism”.
Rabbi Schudrich noted that Pope John Paul II took bold steps
within the contacts with the Jewish community. “Recognizing Jewish suffering
during his visit to Auschwitz, acknowledging the State of Israel as central to
Jewish life and faith and apologizing for Christian persecution of Jews
throughout history, act as testaments to his ultimate aspiration regarding
Jewish/Christian relations”, he said.
Tribute from US Ambassador to Holy See
US Ambassador to the Holy See, Callista Gingrich also
realeased a statement. After describing John Paul II’s legacy, she discusses
the Pope’s relationship to the United States.
As the most widely traveled Pope in history, visiting 129
countries, “he was the first pope to visit the White House in 1979, and made
seven apostolic visits to the United States”, writes Ambassador Gingrich. The
Ambassador notes that in June 2004, President George W. Bush presented him with
the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She
concludes her statement, saying, as we celebrate the life and legacy of Saint
John Paul II, may we continue to be inspired and strengthened by his example.
Commemorative event in Russia
And a virtual commemorative event is being held in Moscow
through the Library for Foreign Literature. Several intellectuals, including
some from the Orthodox tradition, emphasized how contemporary his teaching
still is. The atrium of the library houses a statue of the late Pope. This
statue was inaugurated on 14 October 2011 which is the Feast of the Protective
Mantle of the Virgin Maria according to the Julian calendar. It is a work of
both Ukranian and Russian artists following the idea of producer Grigoriy
Amnuel.
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