John Paul II The news of his death has resounded throughout the globe and has moved us to tears. Though he was old and sick in the last phase of his Pontificate, John Paul II was loved by all, including the youth. We thank God for the gift of his life, of his multifaceted personality, and in a special way for his courage to speak the Truth. He has given us the kernel of Gospel values.
In his message of condolence, the Prime Minister of India, Dr.Manmohan Singh called him "beacon of unflinching moral values". Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Saviour, the Truth, the Way, the Life. The Holy Father stood by his faith in God, in Jesus. He died with his hope in the Resurrection and New Life. He gave us courage to proclaim our faith and convictions, without forgetting that the Spirit of God is at work in the hearts of men, in all cultures, in all religions. He was a man of dialogue with the world. He worked for the families. He tried to show that there is no conflict between Religion and Science, between Faith and Reason. He tried to unite leaders of all religious groups in the struggle for one common cause, for Peace. In the era of economic and cultural globalization, John Paul II proclaimed with sound optimism "globalization of solidarity".Let us pray for him! Fr.Ivo da C.Souza My View John Paul II I was delighted to read the beautiful article written by Prof. Nandkumar Kamat, "John Paul II: Truly a People's Pope" (NT, Monday, April 4, 2005), where he expressed his perceptions about the Pontificate of our beloved John Paul II, who has left a rich legacy to the Church of tomorrow. The experience that he had after watching the film, Shoes of the Fisherman, based on the novel of Morris West, is alive with the death of John Paul II, who has reached out to the whole world and become a catalyst in the world history. The Pope has brought out the Gospel message and its values to the socio-political arena, to everyday life, to the man in the street. Incidentally, when I heard about the novel, Shoes of Fisherman, as a student, I was eager to see a Pope of such a calibre, during my lifetime. I do congratulate him for his courage in expressing his convictions, as John Paul II was bold to speak the truth about the human dignity, about the ultimate meaning of human existence, about God and his Son, Jesus the Christ. Through his "spiritual message", John Paul II stepped into the 'shoes of the fisherman'. It is through the revolution of love that Jesus faced the Pax Romana, which was based on constraint and fear, and became thereby a threat to the Roman Empire. Likewise, the Church conquered the world with the Gospel values. Conversion of heart is required for the transformation of the socio- political arena. Prof.Nandkumar emphasizes the spiritual power of John Paul II, his power of forgiving the gunman, his leadership in today's society and its socio- political ground realities, his respect for life and human rights. The Holy Father has been accepted as a "voice of sanity and peace", as a voice of the voiceless, downtrodden and oppressed, though sometimes his appeal against the war was not heeded. He has planted the seeds of love and peace on different soils of several countries that he has visited, not without sacrifice and suffering. He worked for communion of communities, for globalization of solidarity. Prof.Nandkumar stresses also his dialogue with different cultures and religions, --even when mistakes have been commited by the Church in the course of her history, for which the Holy Father asked pardon--, and understands the Christian perception of the Mystical Body of Christ. It is praiseworthy the witnessing to communion and harmony by John Paul II, the people's Pope. IVO DA C.SOUZA (Rachol)