The passing of Pope John Paul II is a tremendous loss to Catholics as many others around the world. The world has lost a great religious leader and ethical arbitrator. His passing has provided an opportunity to think deeply on what he has left behind and what the world has lost. Only in this way can one appreciate his contribution.
Throughout his life, Pope John Paul II upheld traditional Christian values and led the Roman Catholic Church in opposition to pre-marital sex, the use of condoms, euthanasia, the death penalty, abortion, cloning, stem cell research, gay marriage and other controversial issues. In a rapidly changing world of contestable moral values, this made him a controversial figure. Even though he was criticized for being out of touch, he championed Catholic values in the turbulent current of moral confusion.
John Paul II spared no effort in upholding human rights and dignity. In 2000, in a historic "mea culpa,'' he apologized and begged forgiveness for the many crimes committed over the ages by the Catholic Church, including its anti-Semitism, the looting and slaughter of the Crusades, the Inquisition's oppression of heretics, the abuse of indigenous inhabitants by missionaries and the disempowerment of women. This mea culpa displayed an admirable spirit of self-examination.
Apart from the affairs of the Church, the Pope was not afraid of speaking harshly of dictators, criticizing Alfredo Stroessner of Paraguay, Augusto Pinochet of Chile and Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines. In the second year after his elevation to pope, John Paul II visited his home in Poland and preached the values of the Gospel and of freedom and democracy, giving encouragement to his compatriots still struggling under a dictatorial political regime, and helping to trigger the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the democratization of Eastern Europe.
One of John Paul II's greatest innovations within the Catholic Church was the launching of religious dialogue, interacting with other major religions to tear down the walls of separation. He was one of the most active popes in history, making 104 trips, traveling more than 1 million kilometers and making more than 3,000 public speeches. He held meetings with Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist leaders, exhibiting an attitude of tolerance that is of the greatest significance to the Western world with its centuries of religious conflict.
Despite his willingness to communicate with people from all parts of the world, of different religions and political agendas, John Paul II could not accept the Chinese government's persecution of tens of thousands of Chinese Catholics, which has forced followers loyal to the Vatican to operate clandestinely for decades. Under John Paul II, the Vatican remained a staunch supporter of democratic Taiwan, and this has touched the hearts of this nation's 23 million people. Hopefully, while embracing the Catholic faithful around the world, the Vatican may eventually be able to spread Christian faith and democratic values to China.
As the world says goodbye to this great spiritual leader, the people of Taiwan hope that the next pope will uphold his predecessor's reputation and continue to promote democratic values around the world.
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