Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I move:

That, as a tribute of respect to the memory of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, Dáil Éireann sends an expression of its profound sadness and sympathy on the death of The Holy Father to His Eminence Cardinal Ratzinger, Dean of the College of Cardinals.

It was an honour and privilege for me to attend the funeral of the late Holy Father as part of the national delegation led by President McAleese, in the company of the Tánaiste and Deputy Kenny as Leader of the Opposition. The sadness we have all felt at his passing has been lightened somewhat by the widespread celebration of his life and his achievements which we have witnessed around the world since his death.

The widespread sorrow at his passing and the unprecedented attendance at his funeral reflected the scale of his impact on the world of our time. In part, this reflected his long reign in the See of Peter, his personal charisma, tireless travel around the world, the depth of his wisdom and the clarity of his teaching, his forgiveness for his would-be assassin, his dignity in old age and infirmity and, above all, his capacity to connect with people of all ages, but especially with young people. Arguably, he was seen in person by more people than anyone else in history. In these encounters, he affirmed the good in people and challenged us all to live out that goodness. One obituary read as follows:

His is a heroic record. Here was one of the greatest men of the age. His principled stance, ethical leadership and evident holiness won respect and admiration, even from his enemies and critics.

On his election, he told the church and the world, "Do not be afraid". He demonstrated his own fearlessness in addressing the challenges of the age. He did so with a profound sense of history, not least the history of his own nation. He was convinced, and lived the conviction, that history had a purpose, which was revealed in the act of redemption. That conviction inspired him to preach the centrality of the dignity of the human person. In turn, he saw that dignity as the basis for moral power in the face of unjust and oppressive systems. Nowhere was that demonstrated more than in his decisive contribution to the collapse of communism and the liberation of his beloved Poland and the neighbouring societies.

The reintegration of Europe was a cherished objective. He was particularly gratified by the accession of Poland and the other member states on 1 May 2004. With its Christian tradition, he saw Europe as offering great hope to the world well beyond the boundaries of the Continent. He was equally clear-sighted about the challenges to be met, not least in responding to materialism and aggressive secularism.

His, however, was a global vision. This was reflected, in part, in his firm if sometimes critical commitment to the multilateral approach to dealing with world problems, especially through the United Nations. His determination to establish good relations with the Jewish people reflected his historic sense of the injustice they suffered, not only at the hands of Christians and not least in his own country, and under Nazi occupation in his own home region. Equally, his engagement with other faith traditions, especially Islam, showed that his respect for human dignity and for the right relations between people extended across all boundaries. In his life and action, he demonstrated that, far from being inevitable, a clash of civilisations would be a great evil and could be averted. In this he was surely offering a profound service to the world.

He, of course, will forever hold a special place in Irish hearts for his historic visit to Ireland so early in his term as Pope. We all have our own personal memories of the visit. Above all, I recall his moving words of passionate pleading uttered in Drogheda to persuade those engaged in violence in Ireland to find a new and more human way of pursuing their objectives. I have no doubt this moving appeal played no small part in the development of the framework for peace on this island, the completion of which was of such continuing concern to him, as he expressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Ahern, when he met him last November. His historical perspective led him to pay homage at Clonmacnoise to the Irish saints and missionaries who evangelised Europe, and their thousands of successors in the modern era who have served the church and their communities around the world.

Many have called for Pope John Paul II to be known as the Great. Many also look forward to his early canonisation. Others have pointed to areas of contradiction in his life and work, not least within the life of his own church. All that he did, however, he did in total service to his God, his church and the whole of humanity. He demonstrated conclusively that those who believe religious faith has no part to play in modern society, unlike earlier societies, are wrong. They fail to read the signs of the times. On the contrary, he demonstrated the liberating power of religious belief and practice. He demonstrated the hunger for spirituality and the response to authentic spiritual leadership to be found around the world, among young and old, even when the ideals which are preached cannot always be met.

Above all, he touched the lives and hearts of millions by his willingness to give, and to keep giving, in his work, his preaching, his life and, finally, in his suffering until there was nothing left to give. Many of us will at this time be thinking of and praying for Cardinal Desmond Connell and his brother Cardinals as they face into the difficult task of choosing a successor to this remarkable man. Pope John Paul II has gone to his rest, and the rewards of those who have run the race and who have kept the faith. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.

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