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he Church’s attention is obviously focused on Rome this Sunday for the beatification of the beloved Pope John Paul II. It’s a great day for all Catholics. I consider myself very fortunate to have had Karol Wojtyla as pope for most of my adult life. In that way, I truly got the opportunity to appreciate the man, the priest, the pope. JPII was elected pope on Oct. 16, 1978. Denise and I were married on Oct. 27, 1978 (and thanks to Bucky Dent, I didn’t have to worry about how I was going to watch the Red Sox in the World Series at our wedding reception). In my library of books, it’s a very close call as to who occupies the most space on my shelves — Pope John Paul II or the Red Sox. My collection is very eclectic. There’s one book on my shelves that I treasure a great deal ... even more than those on the 2004 World Series! The book is a picture book (my favorite kind — they’re best for writing book reports). It wasn’t a best-seller or on anyone’s top 10 list, but to me it holds an invaluable treasure — images of John Paul II through the years of his papacy.
The Anchor
April 29, 2011
A walk with John Paul II
Most of us remember JPII JPII waving to the throngs in St. in the final years of his life. The Peter’s Square from the balcony hunched, painful figure of a man. of St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 16, The slurred speech, the drooling, 1978, shortly after he was elected and the emotionless countenance pope at the vibrant age of 58. It on his face. There’s no question that our beloved pope gave dignity and grace to suffering and death. For that he will always be remembered. But he’s no longer that figure. I picture him now as that By Dave Jolivet athletic, square-jawed, grinning man who was everybody’s grandfather, father, uncle, brother, and friend. was a face that lit up the world. It warms my heart to rememThere’s a photo of the young ber John Paul II that way. That’s pope on a boat traveling on the the image I saw for a good two Amazon River. He looks right at decades. home leaning over the railing with I took out my picture book, wind-blown hair and a broad grin. “John Paul II — A Light For the There’s a photo of him shaking World,” published in 2003 by hands with his would-be assassin, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Mehmet Ali Agca in 1983, two Bishops. It was a wonderful walk years after Agca fired a bullet into down memory lane with one of the JPII on May 13, 1981. The pope greatest pontiffs ever. has one hand on Agca’s shoulder I’d like to share some of my fa- while the other pumps a handvorite photos here, but the problem shake. Agca looks very peaceful. is narrowing them down to fit my There are countless photos of allotted space this week. But, here JPII planting a kiss on the forehead goes, as I leaf from front to back. of a toddler, and I don’t see any of Of course I have to start with them wailing or screaming.
My View From the Stands
There’s a photo of the pope in the opening of a cave in the mountains in Spain in 1997 with a walking stick across his lap. Again, he looks right at home. In Nairobi, Kenya in 1985, the pope is surrounded by musicians, all enthusiastically performing for the best audience ever. Now there’s an image of JPII emerging from a teepee in Yellow Knife, Canada in 1984 after vesting for a special Mass there. He is adorned in NativeAmerican style garb. Next are several pages of smiling, happy children in the midst of a smiling, happy pope. Several photos show the pope making a special detour at various arenas and stadiums, to visit physically-challenged faithful. With microphone in hand, JPII is now surrounded by young Japanese school children in traditional costume during a visit to Tokyo in 1981. The children are dancing as the pope sings. I’d love to have the audio on that one. Another photo shows the pontiff in a gondola in Venice in 1985. He’s waving to the crowds on the streets with his usual grin, obviously having a ball. In one of my favorite John Paul II photos, the pope is holding a koala bear during a visit to Brisbane, Australia in 1986. The koala is returning the embrace, much like the children who had the privilege of feeling a JPII hug. In 1999, during a visit to St. Louis, the pope is given a St. Louis Blues hockey jersey and a hockey stick. Despite his already failing health, I guarantee he would have loved to hit the ice at that moment.
There’s a picture of the pope in Harcourt, Nigeria holding a young boy. Several older boys surround him looking a bit envious and in awe. In a very touching moment, the pope is pictured embracing a young four-year-old AIDS patient during a visit to San Francisco in 1987. The pope looks quite comical in a photo from a visit to Maseru, Lesotho in southern Africa in 1988. A grinning JPII is adorned in traditional garb, and the headgear looks very much like a small lamp shade. Priceless. During a tour of Anchorage, Alaska in 1981 the pope is receiving a ride on a bobsled, pulled by a pack of canines as athletic as he. In Terni, Italy, JPII greets iron workers, as he dons a hard hat. The images go on and on, each as precious as the preceding one. Then there are the photos with many of the secular world’s big shots, and I sense it’s more of a thrill for them. There’s Mr. and Mrs. George H.W. Bush, and Mr. and Mrs. George W. Bush; Fidel Castro; Kofi Annan; Bill Clinton; Prince Charles and Princess Diana; Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Carter and Amy; Mikhail Gorbachev; Vincente Fox; Lech Walesa; Nelson Mandela; Yitzhak Rabin; King Abdullah; and Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Reagan. There are millions and millions of images of Pope John Paul II out there, and they all tell a story, and the story is of faith, love, hope, and the heartfelt love for Jesus Christ. That is the Pope John Paul II I will remember. That is the Blessed John Paul II I hope to emulate. And that is the one day St. John Paul II I will pray to for intercession.