John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)

It is correct that we should pause to mourn the death of Pope John Paul II and to reflect on his life and the message it gave us. The high emotion that touched us all during his final great struggle for life, his death and his funeral has subsided since he was buried last Friday and, therefore, we now approach his life in a more reflective and detached way. Perhaps it is good that we should do so.

On Friday evening last, delegates to the Progressive Democrats annual conference assembled in large numbers to commemorate and celebrate the life of the late pontiff and to reflect on it in the company of the Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland Bishops of Cork. On her return from the funeral in Rome, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, described Pope John Paul II as one of the greatest figures of Europe and of the 20th century. Few, if any, will disagree with that assessment.

Pope John Paul II was, by any objective standard, one of the great leaders of our time and a spiritual, intellectual and human colossus. He inspired us, moved us and loved each one of us. The love of humanity that radiated from him brought the leaders of 150 countries, many ordinary people and many young people, in particular, to Rome for his funeral. He probably touched more lives than anyone in living memory and more than most in recorded history.

Our country was touched by him. Like Senator Brian Hayes, I was in the throng in the Phoenix Park on that beautiful autumn day in 1979 and my abiding memory and that of many others was the sight of the Aer Lingus jumbo jet carrying the Pope banking and flying in low over the large crowd on its way to Dublin Airport. It is difficult to comprehend now but at the time it was almost unbelievable to think that the Pope would visit us because it was not the practice of Popes to leave Rome. However, we take it for granted nowadays following the late Pope's visits to more than 100 countries.

At the time, people of my parent's generation never thought they would see it happen. During the Pope's visit to Ireland, we experienced his love for all of us but we learned of his burning commitment to peace when he appealed on his knees to the men and women of violence to go down the road of peace. We learned of his love of youth, as the Leader stated, when he told the young people of Ireland in Galway that he loved them. We also learned of his uncompromising enunciation of the teachings of the church. These were recurring themes throughout his papacy.

Sometimes the message was not always what we wanted to hear but there was no denying the fearlessness or the immense faith that underpinned his preaching of the truth. As well as his love, Pope John Paul II's faith shone through at all times. He was an unyielding witness to that faith and steadfast to the truth and for that he must be admired. It made him a champion of human rights, peace, the world's poor, debt relief and freedom. Pro-life meant more than an abhorrence of abortion and euthanasia; it included the abolition of the death penalty, opposition to wars of the great powers and a rejection of the proposition that there could be such a thing as a just war in our modern world.

Much of this must have been shaped by his Polish background and his experience of the tyranny of both Nazism and communism. The Poles feel themselves orphaned by his passing. They and we saw him play a central role in bringing an end to communism in Poland and elsewhere in Europe. The Europe we have today, based on democratic principles and with human rights at its heart, owes much to the character of Pope John Paul II. The Tánaiste stated in Cork, "Europe has been enormously shaped by the actions and the influence of Pope John Paul II. We and successive generations will reap the benefits of the peace, unity and freedom he did so much to bring to our continent."

Growing up in Poland at the centre of a vibrant Jewish community and witnessing its destruction must have been a major influence on Pope John Paul II's affection and regard for Judaism and on extending the hand of friendship to the Jews and other great religions of the world. I suppose it underlined the word "pontiff" that the Pope acted as a bridge. It was remarkable that he apologised to the Jews for past wrongs, and that apology was necessary. Assuredly, the spirit must have been at work when the cardinals chose a Polish pope. Jesus charged his disciples to go out and preach the Gospel to all the nations of the world, and Pope John Paul II was the living embodiment of that instruction, bringing the message to more than 100 countries and changing fundamentally how the faith was communicated. He understood more than most — and before his time — the significance of the global village. At the end, during his decline and suffering, when we saw that towering intellectual struggle to escape the prison of a failing body, we learned much and were inspired regarding how we should face death as Christians. Once again, it demonstrated that colossal faith was at the core of the message.

We politicians must respond to the messages we were given by the late pontiff regarding how we treat the underprivileged, how we deal with death and starvation in the Third World, how we look after the poor and marginalised at home and how we bring lasting peace to our island. We were inspired by this poet, actor, athlete, author, priest and teacher. He exerted worldwide authority through moral strength, without guns or an army. John Paul the Great left a lasting legacy to history and in the lives of countless people.

Ní fheicfimid a leithéid sin arís. Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis. May the Spirit walk again with those charged with trying to fill the shoes of the fisherman.