Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I strongly support the motion and, like my colleagues, have personal memories of Pope John Paul II. I often think of the fateful autumn night in 1978, the year of three Popes, when the Polish Primate entered the Vatican. We could hear the bureaucrats in the Vatican say "enough" but the Pope proved that night and over the subsequent 26 years that he would not be dictated to and went about his business following the Lord's path as he saw fit.

Visiting Rome in April 1979 I had an opportunity to see the Pope at an audience. Later, I was an archbishop's corps volunteer at the Apostolic Nunciature on the Navan Road when he visited Ireland. Having seen him on the Saturday and Sunday of the visit, we were woken early on the Monday morning to meet him, with some firemen, before his departure for Maynooth. I have often talked about the experience. I was struck by his presence and how he responded to people. People have reacted to his death in an amazing way. I was particularly impressed by many of the tributes paid to him this evening and compliment the Taoiseach and other speakers on their remarks. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin's words on television on the night of the Pope's death also struck a chord.

Deputies have made both negative and positive comments about the Pope. It must be remembered, however, that he was an 84 year old man who was regarded in church circles as an arch conservative, yet his death caused a huge outpouring of sympathy, particularly among young people.

I happened to be in Poland last week and was present for a mass attended by 150,000 in Warsaw on Friday. I spent Saturday, my birthday, in Krakow where I attended a concert in the evening to commemorate the Pope. I also had the opportunity of going a couple of times to the Curia house where he lived as the cardinal archbishop. One had to be impressed and touched to see the emotion evident, particularly of young people. I was glad to come home with recollections of the outpouring of grief from young people and the emotion felt on the streets of Krakow. I saw the Pope as a very positive influence on the world. In common with other Members and the Taoiseach, I wish Cardinal Desmond Connell well as he goes about the business of choosing a successor. That will not be easy.

See this speech in context