Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)

I am glad of the opportunity to join with my colleagues in paying tribute to the life of the great John Paul II, our Pope. The theme of his papacy was "Be not afraid". He was an inspiration to us all — the young, the old and especially in recent years the very sick. I had the privilege of studying in Maynooth with a number of young men who went on to become priests around the country. Thankfully, I have maintained contact with them over the years. Having spoken to them recently, I know that they were saddened by the Pope's passing. As Catholics and Christians, we are sad at the death of our leader but they are sad at the death of their father. His death has had that kind of impact on those priests who are still relatively young men.

Senator Quinn used a Latin quotation but I will use the English form: "If you seek his monument, look around you." I would say, "If you seek his monuments, look around you". Those monuments included the millions of people who flocked to Rome to pay their respects, as well as the leaders of different world religions who attended the papal funeral. Another monument could be seen in the fact that world leaders — some of whose countries are currently at war — sat side by side at last Friday's funeral in Rome.

The physical monuments include the Papal Cross in the Phoenix Park, which marks John Paul II's visit here in 1979, and the John Paul II Library in Maynooth — the seat of ecclesiastical learning in this country for centuries. During his visit to Ireland in 1979, the Pope blessed the foundation stone of that library. Many housing estates throughout the country bear the name of Pope John Paul II. I recall, in particular, the John Paul Avenue estate in Cavan, where a monument will be erected in his memory by the local authority in the coming weeks. In addition, many hundreds of young men——