The Passing of John Paul the Great
By Rev. Derek Sakowski
April 3, 2005
This past Friday and Saturday, as our Holy Father lay on his deathbed, I was giving a retreat to the candidates in our diocese's lay formation program. I finished hearing the last bunch of Confessions literally minutes before Pope John Paul II breathed his last, at 9:37 PM, Rome time.
I was in my car, traveling back to Stevens Point, listening to Relevant Radio as they made the announcement: "The Pope is dead."
I bowed my head and prayed. But sorrow was not the emotion that most filled me. I had long since prepared myself for this event. Mostly, I felt relief in knowing that the terrible final days of agony, which he so obediently and joyfully accepted, were at last over, and this saintly pope was now at peace.
Then, as Relevant Radio proceeded with live guests and audio clips, celebrating this great man's legacy, I did indeed begin to cry. I almost had to pull the car over!
These were not tears of sorrow; these were tears of joy and gratitude and admiration. What a contribution this great pope made! "The almighty has done great things for him, and holy is his name!"
This is the man who became the Universal Shepherd, in 1978, of a Church filled with division, dissension, confusion, uncertainty, and growing infidelity to the Gospel. These last 26 1/2 years, he has blessed us with renewed unity, fidelity, stability, and moral and doctrinal clarity.
This is the great pope of unity, truly "presiding in love," as St. Ignatius of Antioch said in 107 A.D. that every Bishop of Rome should do. No other pope has ever done so much to heal the wounds that divide Christians, and to promote greater harmony and understanding between us and non-Christians. With the Orthodox, the once distant dream of reuniting, while still a long way off, is now an inevitable likelihood rather than a possibility.
This is the man who became the leader of all Christians in the thick of the Cold War. He stared the Evil Empire in the face, heedless of the huge personal risk. He spoke out courageously in the midst of his fellow Poles (and armed Communist soldiers!), and saw to it that the Iron Curtain would come crashing down. Very likely his assassination attempt was a desperation act on the part of the Communists. Too bad for them. Today the Iron Curtain is but a distant memory for most of us. It's almost hard to believe it once existed. We can thank John Paul for that.
This is the man who promoted freedom and dignity and human rights, not only in Eastern Europe, but throughout the world. He probably traveled more than all the other 263 popes put together, not only energizing the world's Christians, but also putting an end to longstanding injustice and oppression in many of the places he visited.
This is the courageous herald of the "Gospel of Life." His witness to the dignity of each human person will be a shining beacon for us in the rocky waters that lie ahead in the decades to come.
This is the pioneer of the "Theology of the Body." Even 10 years before his papacy, it was probably his witness and clarity of thought that inspired Pope Paul VI to go against the grain and reaffirm the Church's age-old teaching against contraception in Humanae Vitae (1968). It most certainly is John Paul and his personalism that has given to our generation and many more a beautiful vision of the gift of sexuality and the awesome responsibilities and joys that come with it.
This is the great philosopher-pope. His Fides et Ratio will never get the widespread attention of his other writings, but having taught an entire college course on the topic, I assure you that his plan for the renewal of philosophy is breathtaking. We can only hope that, years down the road, its beauty and relevance will be appreciated by the academy, whose ideas always have consequences in the lives of everyday people.
This is the great champion and friend of the youth. Time and again "JP2" energized millions of young people from every part of the globe. This is the man who himself was energized, even in his old age, by those young people. I will never forget my experiences at World Youth Day, both in Rome (2000) and in Toronto (2002). The Pontiff, by then feeble and not even able to speak clearly, perked right up in the presence of the youth of the world, and found new energy and strength that most of the world never knew he could possibly still have.
This is the man who on his very deathbed probably drew more comfort from the serenading and praying throng of young people in St. Peter 's Square than he drew from any other human source. Hours before he died, he mumbled out words meant for them: "I have looked for you. Now you have come to me. And I thank you."
This is the great son of Mary, who always ended his encyclicals by entrusting the Church and world to her motherly care. Totus Tuus --totally yours-- is a motto all of us could learn from. John Paul had no doubt that Our Lady of Fatima, on May 13th (her Feast day) guided the bullet that so narrowly missed his vital organs. He made four pilgrimages to Guadalupe in Mexico, showing his deep trust in the guidance that Mary promised St. Juan Diego she would give the entire American continent (South, Central, and North). And in the wake of 9-11, John Paul reminded us of the beautiful treasure of the Rosary. He even enriched and revolutionized this devotion with the Five Mysteries of Light.
This is a pope who was remarkably priestly. He loved all his priests dearly, as evidenced in the letters he wrote them every Holy Thursday. And he showed them how a true priest and shepherd is to live - by totally conforming himself to the Way of the Cross and pouring himself out in loving service of his people.
This is the Pope of the Eucharist. From Dominicae Cenae (1980) to Mirabile Donum (1984) to Ecclesia de Eucharistia (2003), he taught us the centrality of that Blessed Sacrament that is the "Source and Goal" of our entire Faith. He died during the very Year of the Eucharist, one of his last gifts to the Church in his earthly life.
Finally, this is the great mystic and saint, who felt a spiritual connection with the many holy men and women who have gone before us. He canonized far more saints than any other pope. This is the man who helped us all see that the 2nd Sunday of Easter was always meant to be a celebration of the Divine Mercy. This is the man who died on the Vigil of that Feast of Mercy, with an utter and unshakeable confidence in it.
Upon his death, many Christians have been filled with sorrow. I'm sure John Paul understands our grief, but I really think his words to those in sorrow right now would be those words that Jesus spoke, "Weep not for me, but for yourselves and your children" (Luke 23:28).
He certainly did not fear or shy away from his death. Once it was obvious to him that this was the final agony, he insisted on staying at home, at St. Peter's, in prayer with his people. He showed us the real meaning of the oft-misused phrase death with dignity.
Other Christians are filled with anxiety and fear right now. Who will be the next pope? How can we possibly replace John Paul II? What will happen to the Church and the world?
These fears and worries could not be further from the witness of John Paul II. From the very outset of his papacy, time and again, he has exhorted us, "Be not afraid!" In his mystical understanding and wisdom, I'm sure that he meant these words for us today, in the wake of his death. I'm sure he has known how much some of us would be tempted to fear and anxiety, which are never of God.
I cannot encourage you enough to read and meditate on his beautiful letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, written on January 6, 2001, at the very beginning of the new millennium. In it he readily acknowledges the darkness and the challenges and threats that our Church and world face as we initiate this new millennium. But he reflects on the overabundance of God's grace during the Jubilee Year of 2000, a year in which we deeply "contemplated the Face of Christ." He exhorts us to continue to contemplate that Face, to draw strength and courage from it, and to "BE NOT AFRAID." With fearless courage, he exhorts us, Duc in Altum "Put out into the deep" for a great catch, just as the Apostles did in Luke 5.
It is no surprise, and certainly no coincidence that his beautiful and glorious passing into heaven overlapped with the heinous death of Terri Schiavo. He long ago warned us of the strength and the danger of the Culture of Death in which our worth and dignity as a person are connected only with what we are able to do, and not who we are. But in the midst of this dark challenge, John Paul is also telling us now that we must not be fearful or anxious. We are to have every bit of confidence in the Divine Mercy. Jesus Christ is our Risen Lord. He has won the victory. He is the Lord of all life. We must put out into the deep for a catch, not fearful of the waves or the winds or the rocks that seem to threaten to sink us. The Church, the "Bark of Peter," is an unsinkable ship.
Even if (God forbid) we are cursed with a series of unfaithful and unholy popes, the Church of Christ will march on, as she always has. Christ Himself has guaranteed as much. So we must not fear; we must not be sad; and we must not be anxious. We must have an unshakeable confidence in the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. John Paul had that confidence without limit, and look what God did through him. He wants to do the same through each of us.
One final thought that struck me late last night, and again today. It didn't dawn on me right away, but John Paul II, soon to be Saint John Paul the Great, is now an intercessor in heaven! I had been so overwhelmed with tears in reflecting on his contributions here on earth that I nearly forgot his new status as a saint!
I think I have already experienced this personally. In fact, that is what led me to this insight. Yesterday (Saturday) was one of those amazing priestly days in which, from start to finish, I was utterly and completely an instrument in the hands of Christ. Like the day of my Mass of Thanksgiving two years ago, yesterday is almost surreal in my memory. It was I who experienced it all, and yet it was a mystery beyond me. I heard almost five hours of Confessions over the course of the day, in addition to giving retreat talks and several other duties. Without getting into any detail, I can simply say that I have never felt so "used" (in the positive sense) by Christ in the Confessional. Typically, one can hear 20 or 30 fairly "routine" Confessions before getting an incredibly intense one. But last night, it was one intense encounter with the Lord after another. And again and again, I seemed to be inspired with just the right words and just the right insights. I barely felt tired or hungry, and the time simply flew by. Several times yesterday I actually found myself challenging and pushing people in the Confessional in a way that I normally would never dare to! But it was almost like I was impelled. I drove home from Divine Mercy devotions around 10 PM thinking to myself, "What just happened to me today?"
Then it hit me. Someone made a comment on Relevant Radio about John Paul, and it got me thinking, and a conviction welled up within me: it was John Paul's intercession that led to such a string of powerful Confessions! It was his priestly prayers that led Christ to use me so many times in one day. I then felt John Paul's presence, as I have (on rare occasions) felt the presence of the Sacred Heart or the Blessed Mother or one of the other saints. Saint John Paul the Great is already working miracles from heaven! I think the words of St. Therese (a favorite saint of his and mine) will apply to him just as fully as to her: "I want to spend my eternity doing good work here on earth."
In other words, as utterly breathtaking as the legacy of this man is, I think we have only just begun to see his contribution. He is now a powerful intercessor for us, alive with the Lord in the kingdom of heaven. "Do not be afraid" to call upon his prayers! We will have to wait eagerly for his canonization to invoke his prayers officially within the liturgy, but we are more than welcome to do so in our private devotion in the meantime. Who knows which one of us might witness one of the miracles that will lead to his official sainthood?
Saint John Paul the Great, pray for us!
Fr. Derek Sakowski is the chaplain of Saint Peter Middle School and Pacelli High School in Stevens Point, WI. He is a native of Wisconsin Rapids, WI, and attended seminary at Catholic University of America and the Pontifical College Josephinum. He was ordained by Bishop Raymond L. Burke on June 28, 2003.
Fr. Sakowski (far right) and his fellow newly ordained, give priestly blessing to Bishop Raymond Burke during ordination ceremony, Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman, La Crosse, WI.
Prayer for the Intercession of Pope John Paul IIO Blessed Trinity, we thank you for having graced the church with Pope John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your fatherly care, the glory of the cross of Christ, and the splendor of the Holy Spirit, to shine through him. Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd, and has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you. Grant us, by his intercession, and according to your will, the graces we implore, hoping that he will soon be numbered among your saints. Amen.