JOHN PAUL II, THE GREAT
Why we should call him Pope John Paul the Great
By Gerald Korson, Editor
"Ah, man's own weight, the proper weight of man!" exclaims the title character in the authorized English translation of Karol Wojtyla's ponderous three-act play, "The Jeweler's Shop." His jeweler's scales, he explains, "have this peculiarity that they weigh not the metal, but man's entire being and fate."
Taken in the singular, the concept is expressed also in the philosopher's query, "What is the measure of a man?" Put yet another way, how do we take stock and evaluate the life, character and contributions of an individual person?
In the case of the playwright Pope John Paul II, it seems a daunting task to take a comprehensive measure of his "proper weight." In paying tribute to a man whose sense of service to the Church and humanity led him to reach out to the world like no pontiff before him, many possible recollections, stories, anecdotes and listings of achievements could be developed without fully capturing the essence of the fingerprint his pontificate leaves behind.
Even an encyclopedic treatment would prove insufficient to exhaust the mine of golden memories buried deep within the hearts of so many whose lives he touched. As a far less voluminous effort, this two-section issue of Our Sunday Visitor likewise can offer little more than a mere summary of Pope John Paul II's life, his mission and his 26-plus-year reign as visible head of the Catholic Church.
We open with a biographical study written by OSV's Washington correspondent, Russell Shaw, whose nearly 50 years in Catholic journalism and membership on a key Vatican commission have afforded him an insider's appreciation of the papacy.
Afterward we examine Pope John Paul's impact on the various regions of the world, from the United States to Oceania to the conflict- ridden Holy Land.
Finally, we take a topical approach to understanding his pontificate by surveying his contribution to our understanding of such concerns as life issues, the Eucharist, family life, ecumenism, the dignity of labor and Marian devotion.
Next week, we will publish a second tribute edition to Pope John Paul II, this time exploring his personal impact on so many -- Catholic and non-Catholic, famous and ordinary -- who were touched in a special way by his words and actions.
One may speculate whether historians in the next century will remember this pontiff as "Pope John Paul the Great." Truth be told, however, their failure to do so would not negate his many significant accomplishments, as surely as their approval is not requisite to validate them. No reasonable person can dispute his profound influence on the Church and the world, or his tremendous contribution to the development of Catholic thought through his deep personalist approach to philosophy as expressed in his vast writings and teachings.
By Gerald Korson, Editor
"Ah, man's own weight, the proper weight of man!" exclaims the title character in the authorized English translation of Karol Wojtyla's ponderous three-act play, "The Jeweler's Shop." His jeweler's scales, he explains, "have this peculiarity that they weigh not the metal, but man's entire being and fate."
Taken in the singular, the concept is expressed also in the philosopher's query, "What is the measure of a man?" Put yet another way, how do we take stock and evaluate the life, character and contributions of an individual person?
In the case of the playwright Pope John Paul II, it seems a daunting task to take a comprehensive measure of his "proper weight." In paying tribute to a man whose sense of service to the Church and humanity led him to reach out to the world like no pontiff before him, many possible recollections, stories, anecdotes and listings of achievements could be developed without fully capturing the essence of the fingerprint his pontificate leaves behind.
Even an encyclopedic treatment would prove insufficient to exhaust the mine of golden memories buried deep within the hearts of so many whose lives he touched. As a far less voluminous effort, this two-section issue of Our Sunday Visitor likewise can offer little more than a mere summary of Pope John Paul II's life, his mission and his 26-plus-year reign as visible head of the Catholic Church.
We open with a biographical study written by OSV's Washington correspondent, Russell Shaw, whose nearly 50 years in Catholic journalism and membership on a key Vatican commission have afforded him an insider's appreciation of the papacy.
Afterward we examine Pope John Paul's impact on the various regions of the world, from the United States to Oceania to the conflict- ridden Holy Land.
Finally, we take a topical approach to understanding his pontificate by surveying his contribution to our understanding of such concerns as life issues, the Eucharist, family life, ecumenism, the dignity of labor and Marian devotion.
Next week, we will publish a second tribute edition to Pope John Paul II, this time exploring his personal impact on so many -- Catholic and non-Catholic, famous and ordinary -- who were touched in a special way by his words and actions.
One may speculate whether historians in the next century will remember this pontiff as "Pope John Paul the Great." Truth be told, however, their failure to do so would not negate his many significant accomplishments, as surely as their approval is not requisite to validate them. No reasonable person can dispute his profound influence on the Church and the world, or his tremendous contribution to the development of Catholic thought through his deep personalist approach to philosophy as expressed in his vast writings and teachings.
Click here for the remainder of the editorial.
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