MY TURN: POPE JOHN PAUL II EXAMPLE OF COURAGE

My turn: Pope John Paul II example of courage
February 15, 2011 5:59 PM

Within minutes of The Vatican announcing the beatification of Pope John Paul II a few weeks ago, all hotel rooms in Rome and surrounding areas, were reportedly sold out and Vatican officials are expecting up to two million people to attend this historic event on May 1.

JPII’s fast-track to sainthood by Pope Benedict XVI isn’t surprising. Within moments of his death, a movement rose to declare the soon-to-be-called-“blessed” a saint. He will be one step from sainthood.

JPII captured the heart of my daughter Laura and millions of youth. As required for sainthood, many miracles are already attributed to JPII, including the healing of a nun from Parkinson’s disease.

What does it mean to be a saint in our modern world of relativism? Live under a simple motto which JPII not only preached but practiced: “Be not afraid!”

JPII was blunt with George W. Bush about his disagreement with the U.S. led war in Iraq and he, along with another great leader of the 1980s, Ronald Reagan, were both courageous and instrumental in fighting Communism.

Like Reagan, JPII believed God spared his life from a would-be-assassinator’s bullet for reason. Both Reagan and JPII knelt on their knees before leaving their hospitals and forgave the men who tried to assassinate them.

He didn’t rationalize truth.

He was not afraid.



http://www.pntonline.com/news/paul-24341-john-pope.html