Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)

I support the motion proposed by the Taoiseach. Pope John Paul II was one of the foremost figures of the 20th, or of any, century yet he was a humble giant, particularly in his final years of infirmity. He reached the highest stature when he could not raise his head, lift his arm or address his people, particularly in his final appearances at his Vatican apartment window. He faced down dictators throughout the world and drew immense cheering crowds around the world in places as far apart as Manila, Manchester, Boston and Bombay.

From the day of his election in October 1978, Pope John Paul II led the Catholic Church with strength and clarity, firm in his faith and boundless in his compassion. With a reign of more than 26 years, making him the third longest serving pope in the history of the world after St. Peter and Pius IX, it is likely that more than half the world's population can barely recall any other pope. This pope was open, accessible and spontaneous in his gestures, frequently brushing away his security guards as he reached out to the people, particularly the disabled.

He was courageous and not afraid to tackle power head on by standing in solidarity with the people of his native Poland in their quest for political freedom. He changed the course of history and helped bring an end to the Cold War through his support for the Polish Solidarity movement, which started the landslide that wiped out communism in eastern Europe and eventually in the former Soviet Union. He brought it about in a non-violent revolution without bloodshed, confounding the conservatives who counselled violent confrontation and first strikes that would have cost the lives of millions.

His voice, weakened by illness, was nevertheless at its strongest and most forceful against the Iraq war. He repeatedly called on the world's rich to share their wealth with the poor. He urged the young to take care of the old and the healthy to take care of the sick. He decried what he saw as the culture of death, particularly the tragedy of abortion and the death penalty. He was a prophet of peace and justice, especially in the Middle East and the Third World, balancing his concern for Palestinian rights with his condemnation of terror.

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