APRIL 2014APRIL 2014

COLUMBIACOLUMBIAKNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

St. John Paulthe Great

Two decades later, we’re still committed.&ank you, St. John Paul II, for your witness.

The Knights of Columbus Insurance Agents

“From its foundation, your Order has been committed to the material and spiritual well-being of its members and to the promotion of the Church’s mission.”

~ Pope John Paul II to Knights of Columbus Insurance Agents, March 20, 1993.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

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F E AT U R E S

Crossing the Threshold of SanctityAn interview with the postulator of the cause for canonization of St. John Paul II.BY COLUMBIA STAFF

Five Essential Insights of Pope John Paul IIWith the canonization of Karol Wojtyła, the Church embraces a vision of man and the family centered in Christ.BY MICHELLE K. BORRAS

Co-Workers in Christ’s VineyardPope John Paul II often shared pastoral guidance withthe Knights of Columbus and expressed gratitude fortheir friendship.BY COLUMBIA STAFF

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D E P A R T M E N T S

Building a better worldThrough his personal witness andtireless defense of the family, St. JohnPaul II proclaimed the dignity ofevery person.BY SUPREME KNIGHT CARL A. ANDERSON

Learning the faith, living the faithFormed and inspired by faithfulmen, Karol Wojtyła became a pow-erful father figure for many.BY SUPREME CHAPLAIN

ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM E. LORI

Knights of Columbus NewsSpecial Olympics Athletes Train WithPros • K of C Cardinals Receive RedHats at Vatican • Order DistributesPope Francis DVDs to Seminaries •40 Cans for Lent Project Gives Hope• Knights, Families Urged to Pray forUkraine • K of C Rome Playgroundsto Host Canonization Pilgrims

Fathers for GoodJohn Paul II continues to guide fami-lies through the confusing landscapeof modern culture.BY RANDY HAIN

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Newly elected Pope John Paul II greets the world from the central balcony of St. Peter’s BasilicaOct. 16, 1978. The first Polish pope will be canonized together with Pope John XXIII onDivine Mercy Sunday, April 27.

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In the Footsteps of St. John Paul IIThrough the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., the Knights of Columbus will preserve the spiritual legacy of the late pope.BY ALTON J. PELOWSKI

Good Pope John and the KnightsWith the canonization of Pope John XXIII, the Order remembers its close relationship with this visionary pontiff.BY JOSEPH PRONECHEN

The Birthplace of the New EvangelizationFor John Paul II, the faith and struggle of his countrymenin Nowa Huta heralded a new springtime for Christianity.BY KRZYSZTOF MAZUR

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EDITORIAL

THE CANONIzATION of PopesJohn XXIII and John Paul II on April 27will celebrate the personal holiness of twomen who profoundly impacted the uni-versal Church. Although John XXIII’spontificate was relatively brief, he willforever be known as the pope who con-vened the Second Vatican Council,which will shape the Church’s mission ofevangelization for decades to come (seepage 26). Bishop Karol Wojtyła was anactive father of the council and wrote ex-tensively about the council’s scope andvision. Elected in 1978 as the first Polishpope, his 26-year pontificate — thethird longest in history after St. Peter andPius IX — was dedicated to faithfully in-terpreting and implementing Vatican II.Amid John Paul II’s more than 100apostolic voyages outside of Italy —more than all of his predecessors com-bined — he won the hearts of an entiregeneration of Catholics.

I count myself among the John Paul IIGeneration, as I was born just fourmonths after he was elected. My father,proud of his Polish heritage and Catholicfaith, even chose John-Paul as my mid-dle name. As a result, I was intimatelyaware of John Paul II from a young age.Our family attended a papal Mass dur-ing the pope’s 1987 visit to Detroit, andI have many fond memories of WorldYouth Days in Denver (1993) andToronto (2002). When the Holy Fathercould not come to me, I went to him. Imade personal pilgrimages to Rome in1998 and 2002, and went back in 2003with a small group of young adults forthe beatification of Mother Teresa andJohn Paul II’s 25th anniversary celebra-tion. Finally, following the pope’s deathin 2005, I went to Poland with friendsto walk in John Paul II’s footsteps inKraków, Wadowice, Częstochowa andelsewhere.

Friends and family joked that I was aJohn Paul II “groupie,” and they wereright. But what began as simply an at-traction to the Holy Father’s charismaand joyful witness of the Gospel grewinto a deep appreciation of John Paul II’s

theological and philosophical wisdom.I discovered in his writings on such top-ics as authentic freedom, the sanctity oflife and the universal vocation to love aneminently practical vision of the humanperson, created in the image and like-ness of God (see page 14). In contem-plating the deepest questions of man,his answers radiated with the “splendorof truth.”

Although I never had the opportunityto meet John Paul II, I felt as though heknew me, for he strongly affected mylife, just as he did so many others. Notlong after our group returned from its2003 pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi,one friend decided to join the Sisters ofLife; another entered the seminary andis now a priest; two others began datingand were married a year later (they nowhave five children, including twonamed after John Paul and MotherTeresa). As for me, it was there that Imade the decision to apply to the Pon-tifical John Paul II Institute for Studieson Marriage and Family, where I stud-ied from 2004-2006.

There are, of course, countless storiesof Catholics today whose lives have beentransformed in one way or another bytheir experiences of John Paul II and histeachings (see, e.g., page 21). This istrue not only of one generation, but ofseveral. And even those who have notbeen impacted directly by his life andteachings still encounter the fruits of histheological, ecclesial and societal contri-butions in innumerable ways. Finally,his legacy will be preserved and deep-ened in a special way for future genera-tions through what will soon be knownas the Saint John Paul II NationalShrine, operated by the Knights ofColumbus (see page 22). In this wayand others, the Knights will help ensurethat the gift of John Paul II’s life andministry, which was received with joyand gratitude by an entire generation,will endure for many more to come.♦

ALTON JOHN-PAUL PELOWSKI

EDITOR

The John Paul II GenerationCOLUMBIA

PUBLISHERKnights of Columbus

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SUPREME OFFICERSCarl A. AndersonSUPREME KNIGHT

Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D.SUPREME CHAPLAIN

Logan T. LudwigDEPUTY SUPREME KNIGHT

Charles E. Maurer Jr.SUPREME SECRETARY

Michael J. O’ConnorSUPREME TREASURER

John A. MarrellaSUPREME ADVOCATE

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EDITORIALAlton J. Pelowski

EDITORAndrew J. MattMANAGING EDITOR

Patrick ScalisiSENIOR EDITOR

Kaitlyn LandgrafEDITORIAL ASSISTANT

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Venerable Michael McGivney (1852-90)Apostle to the Young,

Protector of Christian Family Life andFounder of the Knights of Columbus,

Intercede for Us.________

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Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing)Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that anapplicant or member accepts the teaching authority of theCatholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires tolive in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church,

and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.________

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ON THE COVERPope John Paul II stands on the threshold

of a former slave-trade depot on Goree Island during his 1992 trip to Senegal.

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BUILDING A BETTER WORLD

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THIS MONTH, we will celebrate thecanonization of Blessed John Paul II.Some years ago, as part of the processfor his canonization, I was interviewedby the office of the postulator of hiscause. That interview was later pub-lished in the postulator’s magazine,Totus Tuus. I thought that this monthwould be an appropriate time toreprint a portion of that interview inplace of my monthly column.

On June 28, 2005, you and yourwife, Dorian, participated inthe Opening Ceremony of theCause for the Beatificationand Canonization of the Ser-vant of God John Paul II. Youalso had the opportunity to bereceived on a number of occa-sions in private audience byJohn Paul II. What do you re-member in particular aboutthose meetings?

Earlier, Dorian and I were togetherin St. Peter’s Square for the funeralMass of John Paul II. We saw thosebeautiful banners that proclaimed“Santo Subito” [“Sainthood Now”]and on that day we made that prayerour own; so we had to be in Rome in2005 to participate with so manyfriends in the opening ceremony ofthe cause of John Paul II.

Private meetings with John Paul IIwere always remarkable because of hisgreat interest in what was happening;he wanted the latest informationabout how situations were changing,what should be done to help and es-pecially what could he do as pope tohelp. Yet conversations would often

include questions about people heknew — were they well, how weretheir families, how was their workgoing? He was pastor of the universalChurch, and he was also pastor of in-dividuals and of families.

One special occasion was a meetingin which he blessed a painting of theDivine Mercy that we then used for aspecial pilgrimage throughout theKnights of Columbus. He wantedvery much to spread this devotionthroughout the world, and we wanted

to be more closely united with him inthis prayer.

On one of our last visits, the HolyFather was having great difficultyspeaking, and so our conversation wasmostly one-sided. We said good-byeand received his blessing. When wereached the door of his study, I turnedto wave a final good-bye and he wassitting there repeatedly making thesign of the cross. Not even illnesscould prevent his desire to communi-cate with others. This was just a smallglimpse of what the world would latersee during the last days of his life.

“Loving Human Love: The Heritageof John Paul II on Marriage and the Family” was the theme of the 25th

International Congress of the PontificalJohn Paul II Institute for Studies onMarriage and Family. In what way doyou hand on this rich heritage assupreme knight of the Knights ofColumbus?

“Loving human love” is such an ac-curate way to describe the heritage ofJohn Paul II because perhaps morethan anyone else in our time, he was

truly the champion ofhuman love. He knew thatwithout love man’s life is un-intelligible and that each per-son is of such tremendousdignity that only the re-sponse of love is worthy ofthe human person. …

The teaching of John Paul II in this area is so rich

and complex that it will requiremany decades of scholarly study todo it justice.

In the Knights of Columbus, wetake a more direct approach: we striveto build stronger Catholic familiesand parish communities throughworks of charity, unity and fraternity.

We view the pastoral legacy of JohnPaul II regarding marriage and familyas the prophetic key to the future ofstrong Catholic communities. Wetake his message to heart of a newevangelization in which the role of thefamily and of the laity is central to thefuture well-being of the Church.

John Paul II will remain a spiritualfather to us for many years to come.Vivat Jesus!

Champion of Human LoveThrough his personal witness and

tireless defense of the family, St. John Paul IIproclaimed the dignity of every person

by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson

John Paul II knew that withoutlove man’s life is unintelligible, and only the response of love isworthy of the human person.

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YEARS AGO, while serving as CardinalJames A. Hickey’s priest-secretary, I hadthe privilege of joining a small numberof priests who concelebrated an earlymorning Mass in Pope John Paul II’s pri-vate chapel. Afterward, the Holy Fathergreeted each of us as our picture wastaken. Of all the photos I had with JohnPaul II over the years, this one is my fa-vorite: The pope put his hand on myshoulder and smiled at me, the way aproud father smiles at his son. Itwas a moment when I personallyexperienced the spiritual father-hood of John Paul II.

THE RADIATION OF FATHERHOODPope John Paul II affected manypriests in the same way that hedid me. Indeed, his spiritual fa-therhood radiated through theChurch, inspiring a new gener-ation of priests. They were at-tracted not only by the pope’sobvious intelligence, energy andcharisma, but even more by his faith,inner strength and fatherly love. Both byhis teaching and his example, John PaulII personified the love a father should ex-press toward his family and the love thata spiritual father, a priest, should expresstoward the Church and her members.

In his beautiful exhortation titled Pas-tores Dabo Vobis (I Will Give You Shep-herds), John Paul II spoke of this spousaldimension of the priesthood. He wrotethat just as Jesus gave his very life for theChurch, so too must priests make a “giftof self to the Church … insofar as she is

the Body and the Bride of Jesus Christ”(23). In this way, the priest’s celibate wayof life is far from lonely and barren.Rather, it corresponds to the joy thatmarried couples experience when, evenamid suffering and setbacks, they givethemselves to each other and to theirfamilies. When a priest gives himself tothe people he serves, even when this en-tails great sacrifice, the Lord sees to it thathis ministry bears much fruit.

Many have written about John Paul II’srelationship with his own father, a manof faith and virtue. The future pope’smother died when he was 8 years old, yetthroughout his formative years, youngKarol Wojtyła was blessed by a loving fa-ther. Capt. Wojtyła instilled in Karol apassion for history, literature and sports.Above all, he helped his son develop adeep life of faith and prayer, so that hemight become the man that God in-tended him to be. Later, as pope, KarolWojtyła would write that his father’s ex-ample of prayer was his “first seminary”(Gift and Mystery, p. 20).

As a priestly vocation began stirring inhis heart, Wojtyła found a true spiritualfather in Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha,archbishop of Kraków. During WorldWar II, Polish seminarians had to beformed for the priesthood clandestinelyin the cardinal’s residence. Here, up close,the seminarian Karol Wojtyła witnessedin Cardinal Sapieha a man of profound

faith and great courage in the faceof grave and tragic circumstances.It was an example that John Paul IIcherished for the rest of his life.

Throughout his ministry aspriest, bishop and pope, JohnPaul II related to everyone as astrong, loving and wise spiritualfather. From the very beginning,he reached out to young people— hiking and skiing with them,participating in student theater,teaching them to know and lovetheir culture, and helping them to

think critically about life. Most impor-tantly, he encouraged them to discovertheir dignity and joy in Christ.

When he became archbishop ofKraków, the communist authorities dis-missed him as a thinker and dreamer, apoet, playwright and mystic. He was allthose things — and much more. Arch-bishop (later Cardinal) Wojtyła was acourageous leader, an image of the GoodShepherd who guides his flock throughdangerous territory. As a wise father, heknew how to deal with the communistregime in order to defend the rights of hispeople and the freedom of the Church.

The Spiritual Fatherhood of St. John Paul II

Formed and inspired by faithful men, Karol Wojtyła became a powerful

father figure for many

by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori

Both by his teaching and his example, John Paul II personifiedthe love a father should expresstoward his family and the lovethat a spiritual father, a priest,should express toward theChurch and her members.

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Offered inSolidarity withPope Francis

LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH

HOLY FATHER’SPRAYER INTENTIONS

GENERAL: That governmentsmay foster the protection of cre-ation and the just distribution ofnatural resources.

MISSION: That the Risen Lordmay fill with hope the hearts ofthose who are being tested by painand sickness.

CATHOLIC MAN OF THE MONTH

POPE FRANCIS: CNS photo/Paul Haring — BLESSED ZENON: Photo courtesy of the Redemptorist General Archive, Rome (www.cssr.com)

FATHER FIGURE FOR THE WORLDIn 1978, when he was elected pope,John Paul II embraced a much largerfamily of faith. Months later he re-turned to Poland, his fatherland, witha message of human dignity, hope andfreedom — the freedom that God theFather offers us in Christ — and soonbrought that same message all aroundthe world. Among his earliest pastoralinnovations was World Youth Day.Though some of his advisers told himthis idea would never work, Pope JohnPaul II knew better. Nothing wouldprevent him from touching the mindsand hearts of young people just as his

own father had nurtured him in theways of faith, wisdom and human ma-turity. Young people responded enthu-siastically, turning out in droves,despite predictions of failure. And itseems the older and more infirm thatJohn Paul II became, the more youngpeople loved him. Who can forget thethrong of young people holding vigilin St. Peter’s Square on the night thepope said, “Let me go to the house ofmy Father”?As we celebrate the canonization ofSt. John Paul II, let us keep in mindhis spiritual fatherhood. In his min-istry to the family, he taught us to seekthe source of fatherhood in the heav-

enly Father, whom Jesus teaches us tocall, “Abba, Father” (Mk 14:36; cf.Rom 8:15, Gal 4:6). He helped us tosee how fathers and mothers cooperateand complement each other in estab-lishing a stable home and in guidingtheir children in the ways of faith,knowledge and love. And always hespoke about fatherhood, motherhoodand family as a vocation of love, serv-ice and self-giving.As Knights of Columbus, as fathersof families, as priests who are spiritualfathers, let us ask St. John Paul II’s in-tercession that we may be perfect, asour heavenly Father is perfect (cf. Mt5:48).♦

Blessed Zenon Kovalyk (1903-1941)BORN AUG. 18, 1903, in westernUkraine, Zenon Kovalyk was raised in apoor peasant family. He dreamed of be-coming a priest and entered the Redemp-torist order in 1926. Kovalyk studiedphilosophy and theology in Belgium be-fore his ordination in the UkrainianGreek Catholic Church in 1932. His or-dination card bore these propheticwords: “Jesus, receive me as a sacrifice to-gether with the Holy Sacrifice of yourFlesh and Blood.” For the next seven years, Father Kova-lyk conducted missions in Ukraine,working with Orthodox believers whosincerely sought reunion with the see ofRome. When the Soviet Union invadedUkraine in 1939, Father Kovalyk openlycondemned the atheistic regime. Advisedby friends to soften the tone of his ser-mons, he replied, “I will receive deathgladly if such be God’s will, but I shallnever compromise my conscience as apreacher.” Renowned for his apostoliczeal, he continued preaching and deliv-ered his last mission sermon in August1940 before 10,000 faithful. Four months later, Father Kovalyk wasarrested by the Soviet secret police. Con-fined for six months in Lviv’s Brygidki

prison, he endured dozens of beatingsand brutal interrogations. Sharing a 14-by-12-foot cell with 32 others, he neverceased his pastoral work of hearing con-fessions, leading prayers and giving spir-itual direction. Gifted with a keen senseof humor, Father Kovalyk also buoyedthe spirits of his fellow prisoners bytelling them amusing stories. When Nazi forces captured Lviv onJune 29, 1941, residents rushed to theprison hoping to find their relatives.While most of the inmates had been shotby the fleeing prison keepers, Father Ko-valyk’s body was discovered crucified toa wall. Together with Bishop MykolaCharnetsky and 22 martyr-companions,Father Kovalyk was beatified in Lviv byPope John Paul II on June 27, 2001.♦

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

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Knights Help Special Olympics Athletes Train With ProsAS NFL personnel and the best col-lege football players in the UnitedStates descended on Indianapolis atthe end of February for the annualScouting Combine, more than twodozen Special Olympics athletesdemonstrated their own impressive setof skills.

Thanks to a partnership betweenthe Indiana Knights of Columbus,Special Olympics and Catholic Ath-letes for Christ, the first-ever “MiniCombine and Football Clinic” forSpecial Olympics was held Feb. 22 atthe Indianapolis Colts training com-plex. Former Colts quarterback JimSorgi, with past teammates JohnStandeford, Rick DeMulling andDylan Gandy, offered instruction andinspiration to the athletes.

Indiana Knights manned five differ-ent stations where the athletes couldtest their football skills. The combinefeatured the 40-yard dash, footballlong throw competition, broad jump,shuttle run and three-cone drill —

many of the same drills that the na-tion’s premier college football playerswere being put through just a fewmiles away at Lucas Oil Stadium. Theevent served as an important reminderof the dignity of the human personand the abilities and character of Spe-cial Olympics athletes.

The players and participants werejoined by a group of Indiana Knightsthat included State Deputy Lawrence B.Fluhr, along with Special Olympics per-sonnel and Catholic Athletes for Christvolunteers — all of whom came awayinspired by the athletes’ determination,joy and commitment to excellence.♦

Four former players of the Indianapolis Colts join volunteers and participants during the SpecialOlympics “Mini Combine and Football Clinic” Feb. 22.

Cardinal Kelvin Felix, retired archbishop of Castries, St. Lucia, and a mem-ber of Immaculate Conception Council 13875, stands with priests duringa reception for new cardinals at the Vatican Feb. 22. Including CardinalLeopoldo José Brenes Solórzano of Managua, Nicaragua, Cardinal OrlandoBeltran Quevedo of Cotabato City, Philippines, and Cardinal Gérald Cy-prien Lacroix of Québec, four of the 19 new cardinals are members of theOrder. Cardinal Felix, who was inadvertently omitted from a news brief inColumbia’s March issue, is a charter member of Council 13875 andwas instrumental in establishing the Knights in St. Lucia.♦

K of C Cardinals ReceiveRed Hats at Vatican

Order Distributes PopeFrancis DVDs to Seminaries

COMPLIMENTARY copies of a doc-umentary about Pope Francis pro-duced by the Knights of Columbus arebeing sent to seminary leaders anddiocesan religious education directors.

Through an initiative to better edu-cate Catholics about the life and form-ative years of Pope Francis, the Orderis making available its documentary,Francis: The Pope from the New World,to more than 200 vocations directors and seminaries in theUnited States.

Since his election, Pope Francis has captured the attentionof the world, yet many people still know very little about hisupbringing in Argentina and the roots of his faith. Featuringexclusive interviews with people who grew up with the popeand those who have known and worked with him for manyyears, the film provides a rare, in-depth profile of the firstpope from the New World. Copies of the DVD can also bepurchased through Amazon.com.♦

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

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40 Cans for Lent Project Gives Hope to Those in NeedPRAY, FAST, GIVE ALMS. The third of these pillars of Lentis at the heart of the Order’s “40 Cans for Lent” project.

As the economy sputters along, many people find it dif-ficult to make ends meet. Fortunately, 40 Cans for Lent, aspecial initiative of the Order’s Food for Families program,is in a position to help by collecting and distributing nu-tritious food for those in need.

The goal of the project is for each council member andeach parishioner to contribute one can of food per day dur-ing the 40 days of Lent.

The program was launched in 2011 by Our Lady ofGuadalupe Council 8306 in Helotes, Texas, when Knightsthere collected 4,300 cans of food for pantries and soupkitchens. Since then, 40 Cans for Lent has spread as an Or-derwide initiative.

As further incentive, the Supreme Council will count a qualifying Food for Families program — including 40 Cans for Lent — as fulfilling all four of the Family Ac-tivities requirements for the Columbian Award. To qualify,councils must collect and distribute a minimum 1,000pounds of food and volunteer 100 hours of service in thepreparation or distribution of meals to the needy.

For more information about Food for Families and theSupreme Council’s reimbursement program, visitkofc.org/food.♦

Members of Our Lady of Guadalupe Council 8306 in Helotes, Texas,at the first 40 Cans for Lent event in 2011.

Knights, Families Urged toPray for Ukraine

K of C Rome Playgrounds toHost Canonization Pilgrims

IN ANTICIPATION of the historic canonizations of PopeJohn XXIII and Pope John Paul II, the Knights of Columbusis opening several of its Rome sports fields to pilgrims trav-elling to the Vatican for the event April 27.

K of C members and their families will have the oppor-tunity to camp at the sports fields free of charge. Locatedwithin the city of Rome, St. Peter’s Square is accessible fromthe fields by walking or by public transportation.

Pilgrims who decide to take advantage of this offer mustbring their own tents and sleeping bags, and advance regis-tration is required. For more information and guidelines,visit kofc.org.♦

THE KNIGHTS of Columbus has been intently followingthe events unfolding in Ukraine. Of the turmoil there, PopeFrancis said: “I assure the Ukrainian people of my closenessand pray for the victims of the violence, for their families, andfor the injured. I urge all parties to cease every form of violenceand to pursue harmony and peace throughout the country.”

In solidarity with the Holy Father and with theCatholic bishops and Church in Ukraine, the Knights ofColumbus is asking all of its members around the worldto pray the Prayer of St. Francis that there may be a re-newed dialogue and respect, and a peaceful resolution tothe situation in Ukraine.♦

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The third longest reigning pope in history, John Paul II isalso one of the most beloved. The unofficial cause for his

canonization began almost immediately, with crowds sponta-neously acclaiming, “Santo subito!” (“Sainthood now!”) at hisfuneral April 8, 2005. The official cause began only a monthlater, when Pope Benedict XVI waived the customary five-yearwaiting period on May 13.

The man appointed to guide the cause through the canonicalprocess required by the Church was Msgr. Sławomir Oder. Bornin Chełmża, Poland, and ordained shortly after the collapse ofcommunism in 1989, Msgr. Oder has spent most of his priest-hood in Rome. He is the author of Why He Is a Saint: The Lifeand Faith of Pope John Paul II and the Case for Canonization (Riz-zoli, 2010).Columbia recently spoke with Msgr. Oder about the sanctity

and legacy of the world’s first Polish pope. The original interviewwas conducted in Polish with the assistance of Knights ofColumbus staff.

COLUMBIA: What significance does John Paul II’s canoniza-tion have for the Church today and for the new evangelization? MSGR. ODER: Each saint is a gift for the Church. John Paul II

used to say that a saint in the Church both disconcerts and com-forts us. A saint disconcerts us by showing how far we still haveto travel on our path to sanctity, and comforts us by saying thatno path to holiness is too far for us.

John Paul II amazed me by the way he realized his love forChrist through concrete love, and through his devotion to theChurch. Thus, we priests certainly have a most beautiful modelof priesthood to follow. Yet the personality of John Paul II wasso rich and versatile — he was a Renaissance man, a man ofintellectual depth with manifold interests. One can find in himan example for people seeking the truth, for people seeking di-alogue, for people in positions of power. In addition, sick andelderly people find in him an example of the special vocationof suffering, the path of illness, the path of old age, and theyuse it as a chance to say their own “Here I am” to Christ. So itseems to me that the canonization of John Paul II willstrengthen the faith of a wide variety of people in their voca-tion to sanctity.

Let us also bear in mind that John Paul II, throughout hislong pontificate, worked to implement the authentic teachingsof the Second Vatican Council. Because of this, his canoniza-tion will certainly put renewed attention on the Church’s taskof living the council.

COLUMBIA: Pope Benedict waived the ordinary five-yearwaiting period to open the cause of John Paul II’s canoniza-tion. How do you respond to people who say that the processoccurred too swiftly?MSGR. ODER: Five years is the time period set by the canon

law of the Church to verify a person’s so-called reputation for

Crossing the Threshold of Sanctity

An interview with the postulator of the cause for canonization of St. John Paul II

by Columbia staff

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Pope John Paul II prays at Mass in St.Louis Jan. 27, 1999, during his last visitto the United States.

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holiness (fama sanctitatis). John Paul II’s reputation for holinesswas never in doubt, for it was deeply established in the con-sciousness of the Church and in society in general. As a result,Pope Benedict dispensed with this five-year waiting period.However, all the other regulations relating to the canonicalprocess had to be strictly observed. Therefore, it cannot be saidthat there was any form of leniency in the canonization process.

Let us also remember that, apart from the time of listeningto personal testimonies and collecting records, the element thatsets the rhythm of the canonization process is above all a signreceived from God in the form of a miracle. In John Paul II’scase, we received this sign at the beginning of the process. Justa few weeks after it had started, we were informed about SisterMarie Simon-Pierre’s healing from Parkinson’s disease. Then,on the very day of the beatification, a Costa Rican woman suf-fering from a brain aneurism was healed. [Both miraculoushealings were attributed to John Paul II’s intercession.] In thisway, God gave us the signs to continue.

COLUMBIA: John Paul II stressed the Second Vatican Coun-cil’s universal call to holiness and canonized more saints thanall of his predecessors in the previous three centuries combined.What did his canonization process reveal about his own per-sonal holiness and heroic virtue?

MSGR. ODER: What John Paul II expressed through thosebeatifications and canonizations is that the Church is able toinspire holiness and awaken saints. What would be the purposeof the Church if, living the word of Christ and the sacraments,the sons and daughters of the Church did not become saints?

What touched us the most in his personal sanctity was theordinariness of that sanctity, meaning that he experienced everysingle moment with exceptional intensity. What touched mepersonally in my encounter with John Paul II was the depth ofhis prayer, the mystical dimension present in his life. That mys-ticism was not a detachment from the world; these were not vi-sions, ecstasies. It was the ability to live in the presence of God,experiencing every single gesture, every decision entirely withreference to God, to Christ. It was a continual dialogue withGod, a dialogue of love, which was realized in his everyday life,meeting with people, making decisions and personal choices.

The other element that struck me was the poverty of JohnPaul II. He was truly a man of God. He lived a very modestlife, a very poor life because he was a free man. His freedomstemmed from his relationship with God. He himself said thatthe man who stands before God is free. He was free from him-self and from tangible goods, and could therefore preach theGospel without fear, without any compromises. He gave him-self to others, to the Church until the very end.

Clockwise from left: Pope JohnPaul II (center, in red boots) prayswith a group of skiers before head-ing down the slopes in 1984. •The Holy Father rides through amassive crowd during his visit tothe University of Santo Tomas inManila, Philippines, where he vis-ited for World Youth Day in1995. • Cardinal Wojtyła is sur-rounded by young believers beforedeparting for Rome in the late1970s. • Wojtyła stands outdoorswith a prayer book in hand. •Young Wojtyła is photographed withhis parents as an infant.

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COLUMBIA: When did Cardinal Wojtyła first become ac-quainted with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — later, PopeBenedict XVI — both personally and with regard to hiswork? What influence did Ratzinger and his thought haveon him?MSGR. ODER: Karol Wojtyła was named cardinal by Paul VI

in 1967, while Cardinal Ratzinger received the cardinal’s hatin 1977, one year before Paul VI’s death. Although they hadboth attended the Second Vatican and were familiar with eachother’s work, their first opportunity to meet was at the con-clave following the death of Paul VI. It was there, while talk-ing about the future of the Church and the successor of PaulVI, that they got to know each other and had a spontaneousrapport. After the death of John Paul I, John Paul II as thenewly elected pontiff soon wanted to have Cardinal Ratzingernear him for theological and dogmatic support, as the prefectof the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

It is difficult to say how their thinking influenced one an-other. Their ideas and vision of the Church were very conver-gent, and their reading of the challenges faced by the Churchafter the Second Vatican Council was very similar. It wouldbe better to refer to the interpenetration and synthesis of theirideas that took place during their day-to-day work together,very often in meetings for the good of the Church.

COLUMBIA: How did he come to the point of developing his“theology of the body” and the decision to start the PontificalJohn Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family?MSGR. ODER: His “theology of the body” developed from

his philosophical and anthropological interests, primarily inthe pastoral dimension. As a young priest in Kraków, KarolWojtyła was responsible for pastoral work with young peopleand health services. His student ministry work at St. Florian’sChurch, his summer vacations on the Masurian Lakes, andreligious retreats for couples preparing for marriage were theplaces where many of his ideas crystallized. The fruits of theseexperiences became the book Love and Responsibility [firstpublished in Polish in 1960]. As pope, he further developedhis reading of the truth about man, revealed in Jesus Christ.This relates in a special way to his great cycle of Wednesdaycatecheses (1979-1984), dedicated precisely to the “theologyof the body.”

Out of these vital concerns emerged the Pontifical JohnPaul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, whichwas founded in 1981. With all certainty, it is a very lively in-stitute, very relevant. Let us remember that the problem of thefamily was fundamental for John Paul II. And his message tofamilies is a response to the reality we are witnessing. This isto say that the crisis of society manifests itself in a special way

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Clockwise from top: Pope John Paul II cel-ebrates Mass at the Basilica of Our Ladyof Guadalupe in Mexico in 1999. • JohnPaul II greets Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger,who later became Pope Benedict XVI, atthe Vatican in 2004. • The Holy Fatherplaces a handwritten prayer in Jerusalem’sWestern Wall during his visit to the HolyLand for the Jubilee Year 2000. • The popeemerges from a First Nations teepee at FortSimpson in Canada’s Northwest Territoriesin 1987.

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through the crisis of the family. John Paul II’s teachings, pre-served in the heritage of the Pontifical John Paul II Institutefor Studies on Marriage and Family, is a response to this crisis.

John Paul II also founded the Pontifical Council for theFamily. He signed the decree establishing this council on May9, 1981, and wanted to personally announce the establishmentof both the institute and council during the audience on May13, which was the date of the assassination attempt. In a sense,then, the struggle of John Paul II for the truth about man, forthe truth about marriage and the family, was sealed in hisblood. I see it as symbolic.

COLUMBIA: In your opinion, what were some of the mostsignificant or unique hallmarks ofJohn Paul II’s pontificate?MSGR. ODER: His pontificate was

primarily an expression of theteachings of the Second VaticanCouncil. John Paul II is a faithfulson of the Church as defined by theCouncil Fathers.

His pontificate was also markedfrom the beginning by evangelicalopenness to the contemporaryworld. His inaugural homily con-tained the programmatic proclama-tion: “Do not be afraid! Open widethe doors for Christ.” This is theChurch which is not afraid or de-fensive, but which carries hope toall who are lost. It seems to me thatthis powerful element of hope wasalso revealed in his intuitive desireand ability to dialogue with youngpeople, which found expression inthe establishment of the WorldYouth Days.

Thus, I would say that it was avery joyful, open, creative pontificate. At the same time, it wasa pontificate that looked squarely into the eyes of contempo-rary man, who suffers and does not find all the answers to hisquestions within himself. And so it was a pontificate of truthabout man — the truth revealed by Christ, the only Saviorand Redeemer of man.

COLUMBIA: What influence did John Paul II have on hissuccessors? How have Benedict and Francis built on the de-velopments of John Paul II?MSGR. ODER: Certainly, both Benedict and Francis lived

many years observing John Paul II. Pope Benedict mentionedhis admiration of John Paul II a number of times, referring tohis personal sanctity, his evangelical openness, his ability toface the challenges of the world. Pope Francis, in turn, empha-sized how John Paul’s Marian devotion influenced his own de-votion and how John Paul’s sanctity inspired his own choicesand desire for perfection.

It seems to me that in this sequence of three popes, we seethe Church that wishes to take Christ “to the peripheries,” touse the language of Pope Francis. John Paul II had to facegeopolitical peripheries: the division of the world into the eastand the west, regimes versus democracy, militant atheism versusChristian tradition. Pope Benedict was taking the Gospel to theintellectual peripheries of the world: the challenges of secularculture, atheism in its new forms, relativism. Pope Francis con-tinues to follow this path of evangelizing the existential periph-eries: poor people, immigrants, people who are marginalized.

With all certainty, there is continuity, the continuity ofChrist’s love, which manifests itself through Peter’s service.

COLUMBIA: How do you thinkCatholics will view St. John Paul II100 years from now, or even 500years from now? What will be hislegacy? MSGR. ODER: When we look

back, I think we will see him as thepope who lived and implementedVatican II. In Poland, we will seehim as one of the greatest, if not thegreatest, of Poles. John Paul II him-self once said that he would like tobe remembered as a pope of life anda pope of families — I think this ishow John Paul II will also be per-ceived, as a defender of dignity witha profound message concerning thetruth about man, about the family,about life. It is not a plain human-ism alone but rather Christian hu-manism, because John Paul II readthe truth about man through theperspective of the incarnation of thedivine Word, Jesus Christ. This isthe great message from John Paul II:

a positive view of man, revelation of the truth about humandignity, and greatness through the encounter with Christ.

COLUMBIA: What would it mean to be a follower of St. JohnPaul II and his spirituality? MSGR. ODER: The most characteristic feature of John Paul II’s

sanctity is his union with Christ, his ability to look at anotherhuman through the prism of Christ. During the beatificationprocess, I heard this many times and in many ways from peo-ple who had met him: He was able to see in each human being— believer or non-believer, saint or sinner — the image andlikeness of God.

To be a follower of St. John Paul II means primarily to bedeeply rooted in the love of God and to look at others, atfriends and adversaries alike, as made in the image and likenessof God. It is precisely by seeking whatever is good, beautifuland noble in man that one can build a new humanism, a newfuture for man.♦

Pope John Paul II affectionately greets Mother Teresa atthe Vatican during one of their many encounters.

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Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather April27 in St. Peter’s Square to celebrate the canonization of

Pope John XXIII, who opened the Second Vatican Council,and with him the “son” of the council who left an indeliblemark on our age, Pope John Paul II.

It was not so long ago when, in April 2005 as John Paul IIlay dying, thousands of young people gathered in the sameplace in prayerful vigil — a testimony of love for the popewhose love they had experienced. Millions flocked to his fu-neral Mass April 8, giving thanks toGod for the gift of this man. That dayin Rome, the crowds shouted so loudlythat they could be heard atop Janicu-lum Hill: “Il Grande!” (“The Great!”)and “Santo subito!” (“Sainthood now!”).This scene had not been repeated sincethe funeral of Pope St. Gregory theGreat in the year 604.

On the feast of Divine Mercy — thefeast that John Paul II himself gave tothe Church — that spontaneous accla-mation will become reality. The Polishpope who grew up amid some of theworst horrors of the 20th century willbe publically declared a gift of God’smercy to our time.

As the crowds again fill St. Peter’s Square, overflowing intoits side streets and filling the Via della Conciliazione, thebroad avenue leading to the Tiber River, we might take a mo-ment to remember what John Paul II gave to the Church andthe world. One of the longest and richest teaching pontifi-cates, his 26 years as pope has already borne abundant fruit.But such fruit only endures if, like Mary, the Christian faith-ful remember the gifts of God, pondering them in our hearts(cf. Luke 2:19).

Those old enough will recall the day Karol Wojtyła firstemerged on the balcony of St. Peter’s as a joyful burst of newenergy, his arms outstretched to embrace the world. They willremember the stirring cry he uttered during his inauguralMass: “Be not afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!” Thoseof any age who listened to the homilies or read the works ofthis fearless pastor and theologian will recognize that he was

like the wise steward of Scripture, who drew new insights forthe Church and the world out of the storehouses of theChurch’s Tradition (cf. Mt 13:52).

A distillation of John Paul II’s key theological developmentsmight appear somewhat abstract until we remember that forJohn Paul II, Christian thinking was inseparable from livedChristian faith. This profoundly pastoral philosopher and the-ologian called for a radical renewal of faith that would bearwitness to the truth of Jesus Christ in our age. He called for

witnesses whose worship, words andvery existence would radiate the Gospelto a world profoundly in need. And hewas what he preached.

Any attempt to list the new saint’scentral insights will necessarily be in-complete. With Pope Emeritus Bene-dict XVI and Pope Francis, we are stilldiscovering what God gave to hisChurch in “John Paul the Great.”Nonetheless, we can recognize some ofthe treasure that this great teacher andshepherd presented to the Church andthe world.

1. He re-centered the Church on“Christ, the Redeemer of man,” and so showed the way toan “adequate anthropology.”

Like his life, all of John Paul II’s key developments of theChurch’s thought were anchored in the simplest and oldestChristian confession of faith. A decidedly modern, resoundingaffirmation of this ancient faith begins his first encyclical: “JesusChrist, the Redeemer of man, is the center of the universe and ofhistory” (Redemptor Hominis, 1). The opening paragraph of Re-demptor Hominis deliberately evokes the beginning of the Com-munist Manifesto, bluntly contradicting Marxism’s man-made,self-destructive salvation through violent revolution. Society ishealed neither through socialism nor through the “market,”both of which subordinate the good of the person to the func-tions of the societal mechanism. It is healed through the only-begotten Son of God who was born of Mary two millennia agoto become our companion on life’s path and to show us the loveof the Father (cf. John Paul II, “Prayer for the Great Jubilee”).

Five Essential Insights of Pope John Paul II

With the canonization of Karol Wojtyła, the Church embraces a vision of man and the family centered in Christ

by Michelle K. Borras

JOHN PAUL II CALLED FORA RADICAL RENEWAL OF

FAITH THAT WOULD BEAR

WITNESS TO THE TRUTH OF

JESUS CHRIST IN OUR AGE.

A P R I L 2 0 1 4 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ 15

John Paul II had firsthand experience of destructive ideolo-gies that did not understand the human person. He was un-shakably convinced that “only in the mystery of the incarnateWord does the mystery of man take on light…. Christ … bythe revelation of the mystery of the Father and his love, fullyreveals man to himself and makes his supreme calling clear”(Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, 22).

2. He gave us a theology of human love.In his first encyclical, John Paul II wrote that man “remains

a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is sense-less, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounterlove” (Redemptor Hominis, 10). In the light of the incarnateWord, who reveals the Father’s love and bestows the Spirit onus, we begin to understand why:God himself is infinite commun-ion, perfect self-giving, shared joy.Since man is created in the imageof this God, he “cannot ‘fully findhimself except through a sincere giftof self.’ This … is the magnificentparadox of human existence” (JohnPaul II, Letter to Families, 11; cf.Gaudium et Spes, 24).

As a young priest working withmarried couples, the future popelearned to “love human love” (cf.Crossing the Threshold of Hope[1994], p. 123). Throughout hispontificate, he boldly developed atheology of human love in many ofhis teachings. He taught that thehuman body has a “nuptial mean-ing.” In our sexual difference (i.e.,existing only as men or as womenwho together image God), we canalready glimpse the signs of the fun-damental human vocation to love.

3. He articulated the “saving mission of the family.”John Paul II’s theology of human love reached its culmi-

nation in a development of a theology of marriage and thefamily so rich that it will take generations to fully unfold inthe life of the Church. The faithful and fruitful communionof man and woman shows forth in the world the faithful andfruitful communion that is in God. And that is not all. Thefamily has a mission so vital that with it, humanity standsor falls.

Simply by becoming what it is — that is, a “community oflife and love” — the family is a “saved and a saving commu-nity” at the heart of the Church’s mission. “The family,” JohnPaul II wrote, “has the mission to guard, reveal and commu-nicate love, and this is a living reflection of and a real sharingin God’s love for humanity and the love of Christ the Lordfor the Church his bride…. Family, become what you are!”(Familiaris Consortio, 17; cf. 70).

4. He fearlessly defended the dignity of the human person. The family is the place where the human person is meant to

be received in love, no matter what his abilities or disabilities,his age or “productivity.” Thus John Paul II, the pope of thefamily, was also a prophetic voice proclaiming the inviolabledignity of every human life: born or unborn, rich or poor,healthy or sick, oppressed or free. He wrote in his encyclicalEvangelium Vitae, “The Gospel of God’s love for man, theGospel of the dignity of the person and the Gospel of life are asingle and indivisible Gospel” (2).

This Gospel impelled John Paul II to speak out especially on be-half of the most vulnerable: the unborn and the elderly. But it alsoled him to challenge unjust economic practices, remind workers oftheir dignity, rebuke dictators and cry out for peace, convinced that

“the answer to the fear which darkenshuman existence at the end of the 20thcentury is the common effort to buildthe civilization of love” (Address to theUnited Nations, 1995).

5. In his suffering, he pointed usto the mercy of God.

Near the beginning of his pontifi-cate, John Paul II wrote an encyclicalon God the Father titled Dives inMisericordia (Rich in Mercy). In asense, this title could be placed overhis entire life and pontificate, espe-cially his years-long struggle withParkinson’s disease and his death in2005. This pope, who had been sogreat a speaker, finally taught us bestwith his silence. In the Church thatlives from the sacrifice of her Lord,John Paul II became a suffering and,finally, a mute witness of Christ’s love“to the end” (cf. Jn 13:1).

The pope gave Divine Mercy thelast word in his life. After entrusting everyone and everythinginto the hands of the Virgin Mary, he wrote in his will and tes-tament, “I … ask for prayers, so that God’s Mercy may provegreater than my own weakness and unworthiness: ‘For with theLord there is mercy and fullness of redemption (Ps 130:7).’”

If we recall nothing else as we watch the enormous crowd fillSt. Peter’s Square on April 27 — just as it did at John Paul II’sunforgettable funeral Mass, only now without a trace of sadness— we can remember this mercy. Ultimately, it is this mysteryof God’s love that shines through every one of the great pope’sinsights and, indeed, through his whole life. Everything JohnPaul II gave to the Church and the world that he so loved was— and is — an expression of this: God, rich in mercy, whogave himself to the world in his only Son.♦

MICHELLE K. BORRAS is theologian in residence at theBlessed John Paul II Shrine in Washington, D.C., and directorof the Order’s Catholic Information Service.

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As auxiliary bishop, and later archbishop, of Kraków inthe 1960s, Karol Wojtyła was a prolific writer.

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Co-WorkersIN CHRIST’S VINEYARD

Pope John Paul II often shared pastoral guidance with the Knightsof Columbus and expressed gratitude for our friendship

by Columbia staff

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1978 The Order underwrites the coststo telecast the inauguration of Pope JohnPaul II’s pontificate and funds a film ofthe pope’s first trip to Mexico.

1979 In October, the Order collabo-rates with the U.S. Conference ofCatholic Bishops to provide funding tofilm the entire journey of Pope John PaulII to the United States.

1981 The Order establishes the Knightsof Columbus Vicarius Christi Fund in theamount of $10 million, the earnings ofwhich are presented to the pope in perpe-tuity for his charitable purposes.

1983 The Order provides financial as-sistance to the pope to help offset the an-nual operating budget of the San LorenzoInternational Youth Center in Rome.

1984 The Supreme Council author-izes a special $1 per capita assessmenton Canadian members to assist theCanadian Conference of Catholic Bish-ops in defraying expenses related toJohn Paul II’s visit.

1985 The Order provides funding forthe Vatican Television Center (CTV) topurchase a mobile television productionstudio, which enables CTV to documentthe words and activities of John Paul IIfor use by the world press and to pro-duce other programs on the pope’s jour-neys, activities and speeches.

1985 At the pope’s wish, expressedthrough the Fabbrica di San Pietro, theOrder is presented with the opportunityto restore the entire façade of St. Peter’sBasilica, which had not been cleaned for350 years.

1986 Pope John Paul II presents theKnights of Columbus Museum in NewHaven, Conn., with the copper crossthat, since 1614, was held in the arms of

Over the course of his 26-year pontificate, Pope John Paul II addressed more thantwo-dozen messages of appreciation for and encouragement to the Knights of

Columbus. In many ways, his speeches to the K of C Board of Directors and his let-ters to the annual Supreme Convention highlighted the Order’s role as collaboratorsin the Church’s mission to radiate the Gospel and cultivate a civilization of love.

The Knights worked closely with John Paul II throughout his papacy, from co-sponsoring his 1995 Mass at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York and assisting withother papal trips to restoring the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica and bolstering the Vat-ican’s telecommunication capabilities. In the pages that follow, a timeline and photoshighlight these and other significant collaborative efforts between the Knights andJohn Paul II.

Recalling these signposts of solidarity with the pope, we also remember that theOrder’s unity with John Paul II is grounded in the Church’s pastoral work. In aprivate audience with the supreme directors in October 1988, the Holy Father said,“The greatest joy and consolation that [the Knights] bring to the heart of the popeare the result of all that you are doing to protect the Christian family and the rightto life from conception until death, to promote evangelization, Catholic education,parish life and vocations to the priesthood and religious life.”

Today, the Knights’ friendship with John Paul II endures amid the communionof saints, as the Order is inspired to continue the work of building a culture of lifeand a civilization of love.

Whenever I think of theKnights of Columbus, I amreminded with joy of a richheritage of faith, fraternityand service, and of a shining example ofCatholic laity involved inthe mission of theChurch.”

— Message to 101st Supreme Conven-tion, Columbus, Ohio, July 21, 1983

“

Tens of thousands of pilgrims fill St. Peter’sSquare at the Vatican for the beatificationMass of Pope John Paul II May 1, 2011.A tapestry featuring the late pope’s imagehangs from the façade of the basilica, whichwas restored in the 1980s with supportfrom the Knights of Columbus.

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the statue of Christ at the top of St.Peter’s façade. The gift is given in appre-ciation for the Order’s collaboration inrestoring the façade and related work.

1989 The Knights of Columbus pro-vides funding for the publication of ThePope Speaks to the American Church, acomplete collection of the pope’s ad-dresses to Catholics in the United States1979-88.

1990 The Order develops and distrib-utes a study guide on the pope’s 1989apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici,on the vocation and mission of the laity.

1991 August marks the launch of anOrderwide Quincentennial Prayer Serv-ice centering on replicas of the cross pre-sented by Pope John Paul II to thebishops of the Americas in 1984 in theDominican Republic.

1995 On Oct. 5, Pope John Paul IIblesses the new headquarters of the Per-manent Observer Mission at the UnitedNations in New York City, which wasfunded by the Order. The Knights and theDiocese of Brooklyn co-host the pope’sMass at Aqueduct Racetrack Oct. 6.

1996 The Order publishes a studyguide for John Paul II’s encyclical Evan-gelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life).

1997 Supreme Knight and Mrs. VirgilC. Dechant represent the Order at theRio de Janeiro International Conferenceon Family attended by Pope John Paul IIin October.

1997 John Paul II receives the SupremeOfficers in audience Dec. 11. A spiritualbouquet of prayers is offered by Knightsto mark his 50th anniversary as a priest.

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The financing of the repair and maintenance ofthe façade of Saint Peter’sBasilica and the colossalstatues above is yet onemore symbol of the dedicated spirit of your esteemed organization and of your devotion and fidelity to the successor of St. Peter.”

— John Paul II’s speech during ceremony for the completion of renovations on the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica, Feb. 23, 1987

“

By reason of your Order’sdistinguished record ofconcern for the poor, thedisadvantaged and the un-born in particular, I amconfident that the Knightsof Columbus will continueto be in the forefront of theChurch’s efforts to promotea ‘culture of life’ (cf. Centes-imus Annus, 39).”

— Message to 109th Supreme Convention, St. Louis, July 4, 1991

“Top: Pope John Paul II meets with Past Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant and Supreme Officers inWashington, D.C., Oct. 7, 1979. • Above: The Holy Father blesses a production van donated by theOrder to the Vatican Television Center Nov. 6, 1995.

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1998 The Order provides a grant tothe bishops’ conference of Cuba to helpwith expenses of Pope John Paul II’s visitthere.

1998 The pope receives the Board ofDirectors in audience Oct. 15. Heblesses a mosaic of Our Lady ofGuadalupe commissioned from the Vat-ican Mosaic Studios for the Knights ofColumbus Museum.

1999 In January, the Order announcesfunding for the restoration of the 17th-century Maderno Atrium and the HolyDoor in St. Peter’s Basilica as a gift to thepope and to the universal Church for thejubilee year 2000.

2000 On May 21, Pope John Paul IIcanonizes 25 Mexican martyrs, victimsof the religious persecution of the 1920s.Six of the priests canonized were mem-bers of the Knights of Columbus.

2000 The Order funds the telecast of thepope’s visit to the Holy Land in March.

2001 On April 29, John Paul II beatifiesCarlos Manuel Rodríguez, a member ofthe Knights of Columbus in Puerto Rico.

2002 As a sign of solidarity with thepope, the Order establishes in March the$2 million Pacem in Terris Fund, theearnings of which are used to promotepeace initiatives in the Holy Land and toassist the Latin Patriarchate in support-ing the Christian community there.

2002 Supreme Knight Carl A. Ander-son is granted a private audience byJohn Paul II April 26, at which timethey discuss the cause for the canoniza-tion of the Order’s founder, FatherMichael J. McGivney.

2002 For Christmas, the Order collab-orates with the Pontifical Council for

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In a society that urgentlyneeds to rediscover the trueface of manhood, the quietexample of men whose livesare shaped by the virtues offaith, integrity, fidelity,hard work and generousconcern for others, can bean immensely effective tes-timony to the Gospel. …

“The history of theKnights of Columbusshows how a small group ofmen inspired by Christianfaith and charitable con-cern were able to inspire amovement of immensefruitfulness for the advanceof God’s kingdom onearth.”

— Message to 117th Supreme Convention, St. Paul-Minneapolis, May 21, 1999

“Pope John Paul II celebrates Mass at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, N.Y., during his visit to theUnited States Oct. 6, 1995.

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Social Communications on a streamingvideo production of a 24-hour televisionprogram celebrating the 25th Christmasof John Paul II’s pontificate.

2003 In response to the pope’s call forsupport of vocations, the Order under-takes a program centered on the 40thannual World Day of Prayer for Voca-tions, observed May 11.

2003 In October, the Order begins ayearlong prayer program in honor ofJohn Paul II and priests through a Di-vine Mercy Prayer Service. The programfeatures an image of Divine Mercyblessed by the pope.

2003 In September, the Order beginsits celebration of the 25th anniversary ofPope John Paul II’s pontificate with aspecial issue of Columbia.

2003 In connection with the openingof the 2003 academic year, the SupremeCouncil presents some 4,000 seminari-ans with copies of a special edition ofJohn Paul II’s book Gift and Mystery.The book commemorates the 50th an-niversary of the Holy Father’s priest-hood, celebrated in 1996.

2005 Supreme Knight Anderson, PastSupreme Knight Dechant, their wives,and Count Enrico Demajo (director ofthe Order’s Rome office) represent the Knights of Columbus at Pope JohnPaul II’s funeral April 8.

2011 On Aug. 2, four months afterJohn Paul II’s beatification, SupremeKnight Anderson announces the Order’splan to open a shrine in Washington,D.C., dedicated to preserving the legacyof Blessed John Paul II.♦

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I express once more mygratitude for the Knights’unfailing commitment topromoting vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. Experiencehas shown that the morethe lay apostolate develops,the more strongly the needfor priests is felt; and themore the laity’s own senseof vocation is deepened,the more deeply is theunique role of priests appreciated.”

— Message to 120th Supreme Conven-tion, Anaheim, Calif., July 10, 2002

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Father McGivney’s vision remains as relevant as ever in the changed circumstances of today’sChurch and society. … By their example as Catholicmen, husbands and fathers,their witness of love for theChurch and their fidelity to her teaching, the Knights have contributedsignificantly to the Church’sinterior renewal and her mission of evangelization. I am particularly grateful for the support that the Knightshave given in the publicforum regarding freedom ineducation, the truth aboutmarriage and family life, and the need to respect thedignity and rights of eachhuman person, from con-ception to natural death.”

— Message to 121st Supreme Conven-tion, Washington, D.C., July 25, 2003

“Left: Pope John Paul II accepts abas-relief sculpture of FatherMichael J. McGivney from SupremeKnight Carl A. Anderson in2002. • Below: Pope John Paul IIblesses an image of Divine Mercywhile meeting with Supreme KnightAnderson and his wife, Dorian, andDr. Stanisław Grygiel in 2003.The image was used in a yearlongK of C prayer program for the popeand all priests. Also pictured (left)is then-Bishop Stanisław Dziwisz,the pope’s secretary.

FATHERS FOR GOOD

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FIND ADDITIONAL ARTICLES AND RESOURCES FOR CATHOLIC MEN AND THEIR FAMILIES AT FATHERSFORGOOD.ORG.

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When my wife and I were welcomed into the CatholicChurch with our two sons in 2006, we were some-

what overwhelmed by the new life we had begun. Althoughwe were surrounded by wonderful priests, deacons and caringparishioners who helped us along the way, it was often thewritings of Blessed John Paul II that gave us the most guid-ance and comfort.

One document in particular, the 1981 apostolic exhorta-tion Familiaris Consortio (On the Role of the Christian Familyin the Modern World), dramatically influenced our family.Like many converts, my wifeand I sought more than achange in church member-ship; we wanted to followChrist in a radical new wayof life. On a personal level,this included rejectingpurely secular values andconforming our marriageand family life to the teach-ings of the Church.

On this journey, Famil-iaris Consortio was the roadmap we were seeking. Hereare four principles from JohnPaul II’s teachings that havesignificantly reshaped ourfamily’s thinking and understanding:

Our marriage is a sacramental covenant. Although blessedwith a deep love for each other, my wife and I recognize thatmarriage requires more than the popular idea of love as merelyan emotion. We are called to conform our lives to Christ’s sac-rifice for his Bride, the Church. As John Paul II explained, “bymeans of baptism … the intimate community of conjugal lifeand love, founded by the Creator, is elevated and assumed intothe spousal charity of Christ, sustained and enriched by hisredeeming power.” Because of the sacramentality of marriage,moreover, spouses are “the permanent reminder to the Churchof what happened on the Cross” (FC, 13).

We must be open to new life. Before we became Catholic,our understanding of this issue was simply rooted in ignoranceand the uncritical acceptance of modern culture. Reading Fa-miliaris Consortio and receiving advice from priests helped usto understand that, unlike periodic abstinence, contraceptiondirectly interferes with God’s plan for our marriage and fails

to respect the life-giving meaning of marital intimacy. In John Paul’s words: “Thus the innate language that ex-

presses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife isoverlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradic-tory language…. This leads not only to a positive refusal tobe open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth ofconjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personaltotality” (32).

We are responsible for educating our children in the faith.“Parents have been appointed by God himself as the first and

principal educators of their chil-dren,” writes John Paul II (40).Using a term recovered by theSecond Vatican Council, he thencalls the family a “domesticchurch,” which “like the greaterChurch, needs to be constantlyand intensely evangelized” (51).Finally, he adds that “the futureof evangelization depends ingreat part on the Church of thehome” (52). These beautifulwords of John Paul II are a dailychallenge to us. They remind usthat we are called to become mis-sionaries by instilling a love forthe Gospel in our own homes.

Our family must pray together. Participating in the sacra-ments and fostering the practice of personal prayer are essentialto a family’s spiritual formation. Again, in John Paul’s clearwords: “Christian parents have the specific responsibility ofeducating their children in prayer, introducing them to grad-ual discovery of the mystery of God and to personal dialoguewith him” (60).

There certainly are other lessons our family will learn as wegrow in our Catholic faith. After all, we are blessed with theteachings of Scripture, sacred tradition and the saints — in-cluding St. John Paul II, who is now a great intercessor for thehealth and holiness of families. His insights continue to offermarried couples and families indispensable light on their jour-ney, as we seek help, hope and a clear path to lasting joy.♦

RANDY HAIN is a member of St. Peter Chanel Council 13217 inRoswell, Ga., and author of books on the integration of work, homelife and faith.

A Road Map for Catholic FamiliesJohn Paul II continues to guide families through the confusing landscape of modern culture

by Randy Hain

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In his annual report at the 129th Supreme Convention Aug. 2,2011, exactly four months after the beatification of Blessed

John Paul II, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson announced thatthe Order would establish a shrine in Washington, D.C. Locatedon the site of the former John Paul II Cultural Center, whichopened in 2001 as an initiative of the Archdiocese of Detroit, theshrine would be dedicated to preserving John Paul II’s contribu-tions to the Church and society.

“We have the opportunity andprivilege of protecting his legacythrough this shrine, of continu-ing his mission and of continu-ing to form the next generationof Catholics,” the supremeknight said. “The Knights ofColumbus will be the guardiansof that legacy for years, fordecades to come because of thisshrine.”

Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl ofWashington gave his blessing tothe initiative and declared the sitean archdiocesan shrine in August2011. Last month, on March 11, it was designated a nationalshrine at a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.Beginning April 27, the date of John Paul II’s canonization,the site will officially be known as the Saint John Paul II Na-tional Shrine.

Since the Blessed John Paul II Shrine was established nearlythree years ago, pilgrims have been welcomed for special eventsand several temporary exhibits on topics such as the conclaveand election of Pope Francis. In recent months, while the sec-ond floor has featured an exhibit titled “Be Not Afraid: TheLife and Legacy of Blessed John Paul II,” construction and ren-ovation has been taking place in the shrine’s lower level to installa 16,000-square-foot permanent exhibition on John Paul II’slife and teaching.

In addition to the permanent exhibition, which is scheduledto open later this year, plans are also underway to convert the

main floor into a church and to convert the current chapel intoa reliquary chapel dedicated to John Paul II. The church andchapel will feature floor-to-ceiling mosaics designed by JesuitFather Marko Ivan Rupnik, a Slovenian artist and theologianknown for his distinct style and works at Catholic sitesworldwide, including the Vatican’s Redemptoris Mater Chapeland the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. The centerpiece

of the reliquary chapel will be avial of Blessed John Paul II’sblood, which was entrusted tothe Knights of Columbus byCardinal Stanisław Dziwisz,archbishop of Kraków andlongtime personal secretary toJohn Paul II.

The church and chapel are ex-pected to be completed in 2015,at which time staff will under-take further initiatives to de-velop the spiritual, intellectualand community life of theshrine.

To further elaborate on themission and purpose of this historic initiative, Supreme KnightAnderson gave the following interview.

COLUMBIA: What is the significance of having a nationalshrine dedicated to St. John Paul II?SUPREME KNIGHT: History may record John Paul II as the

pope of the millennium and one of the greatest popes in thehistory of the Catholic Church. Certainly, he was the greatestpope in the history of the United States, considering howmany times he visited the United States and North America.Historians also talk about how John Paul II changed the faceof Europe — the liberation of Poland and other countries be-hind the Iron Curtain — not to mention his dozens of visitsto Latin America, Africa and Asia.

But his greatest contributions are his teachings and his spir-itual witness as a Catholic, a priest, a bishop and a pope.

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In the Footsteps of St. John Paul II

Through the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C.,the Knights of Columbus will preserve the spiritual legacy of the late pope

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Therefore, for generations to come, Catholics will ask, “Whois St. John Paul II? What does it mean to have a devotion tohim? What does it mean to follow in his footsteps a Christianpath, a Christian way of life?” Having a national shrine to St.John Paul II is a way to help pilgrims answer these questionsand preserve his legacy.

COLUMBIA: What was the spiritual vision and motivationfor making a large church the centerpiece of the shrine, anddesignating the current chapel as a reliquary chapel?SUPREME KNIGHT: The purpose of a pilgrimage is to have

an encounter that changes one’s life. Historically, pilgrimagesto shrines were very important in the history of Catholicismin Europe, the Middle East and the Holy Land. John Paul IIwould not want the center of this pilgrimage to be an en-counter with him, but to be an encounter with the Lord.Therefore, we felt that the principal place of encounter shouldbe with the Lord in the Eucharist. That’s why the large churchwill have the Blessed Sacrament, and the chapel will be re-served for veneration of a relic of St. John Paul II. We followJohn Paul II’s teaching, witness and spirituality to lead us tothe Lord.

COLUMBIA: Why is the Knights of Columbus a fitting stew-ard to preserve the legacy of St. John Paul II?

SUPREME KNIGHT: There are many reasons. First, theKnights know that Father McGivney was very concerned withstrengthening families and Christian family life. And we knowthat John Paul II is regarded as the “pope of the family” be-cause of the great contributions of his teachings and ministry.Also, like John Paul II, Father McGivney was very concernedabout the role of the laity; almost 100 years before the SecondVatican Council, he founded an organization that promotedthe vocation of the laity. A third reason is that the Knights ofColumbus had a very special relationship with John Paul II.We cooperated in many projects and had many audiences,and we were able to work with him on his fundamental pas-toral initiatives, such as fostering the new evangelization, Ec-clesia in America, human rights and democracy.

COLUMBIA: In planning the permanent exhibit on JohnPaul II’s life and teachings, what were some of the manythings that were considered?SUPREME KNIGHT: The intention of the permanent exhibit is

to have this “museum” be part of the pilgrimage experience. Itis not just an opportunity to see artifacts or interesting photo-graphs, but it is also very much a part of coming to know JohnPaul II better: his accomplishments and his mission, but also hisinterior life, his spiritual life, his prayer life — what allowed himto become a great saint whom we might imitate more closely.

Young people tour a temporary exhibit titled “Be Not Afraid: The Life and Legacy of Blessed John Paul II” at the Blessed John Paul II Shrine onJan. 21. • Opposite page: The Blessed John Paul II Shrine — soon to be known as the Saint John Paul II National Shrine — is located in northeastWashington, D.C., at the site of the former John Paul II Cultural Center.

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COLUMBIA: How is the mission of the John Paul II Shrinebuilding on, or distinct from, that of the Pope John Paul IICultural Center?SUPREME KNIGHT: The John Paul II Cultural Center, which

was supported in a significant way by the Knights of Colum-bus, was foreseen as a center in North America to study andunderstand more deeply the life and teachings of what wasclearly understood at the time to be one of history’s great popes.Was it foreseen that the Church would declare him a saint soquickly? I don’t know. But now that he is being canonized, thecenter has naturally evolved to where it should be, which is notonly an intellectual center for greater understanding, but alsoa spiritual center for devotion, evangelization and the conver-sion of countless Catholics, other Christians and perhaps evennon-Christians. That is not being done only for a season, butfor generations to come.

COLUMBIA: What kinds of groups do you envision makingpilgrimages to the St. John Paul II Shrine?SUPREME KNIGHT: Certainly, I think that every Catholic

will be welcome and can benefit from a pilgrimage to theshrine. Every American Catholic has felt the influence ofthis great pope. Many non-Catholics and non-Christians

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Left: Gathered in Washington for the March for Life, a group of teens fromFreeport, Ill., visits the Blessed John Paul II Shrine for special events Jan. 21.

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who are concerned about human rights, human dignity, co-operation among nations, reducing conflict in the world —they too will learn great things from the work and missionof this saint.

COLUMBIA: The John Paul II Shrine is located near a num-ber of significant Catholic sites that have been supported bythe Order. How might these sites, and their relative location,fit into the life of the shrine?SUPREME KNIGHT: I think we can look forward to many in-

formal partnerships between the shrine and existing Catholicinstitutions in Washington. For example, there will clearlybe a partnership with the John Paul II Institute for Studieson Marriage and Family, which is a graduate school of theol-ogy dedicated to the study of John Paul II’s teachings. Theshrine will also be a great resource for generations of youngCatholic scholars and students at The Catholic University ofAmerica. And there will clearly be a synergy between the St.John Paul II National Shrine and the Basilica of the NationalShrine of the Immaculate Conception, given John Paul II’sgreat devotion to Mary.

The Knights of Columbus has been instrumental in the de-velopment of The Catholic University of America for morethan a century, of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Con-ception for more than a half-century, and of the John Paul IIInstitute for more than a quarter-century. And now, we’vebegun this new initiative, which like the others, is a contribu-tion by the Knights of Columbus for the generations.♦

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Left: A diagram shows the thematic path that pilgrims will take throughthe future permanent exhibition on the life and teachings of John Paul II,scheduled to open later this year. • Below: Patrick E. Kelly (left), executivedirector of the Blessed John Paul II Shrine, guides the Knights of Colum-bus Board of Directors on a tour of the shrine as it undergoes renovations.• Young pilgrims visiting the temporary exhibit learn about Karol Wojtyła’searly life and vocational discernment.

THE SUPREME COUNCIL and the Saint John Paul IINational Shrine have produced a new prayer card (#4983)

requesting the intercession of St. JohnPaul II. These prayer cards are availablein packs of 100 at a cost of $3 per pack.Make checks payable to “Knights ofColumbus” and write #4983 in thememo line. Mail to: Knights of Colum-bus Supply Department, 78 MeadowStreet, New Haven, CT 06519. Questions? Call 203-752-4214.

ST. JOHN PAUL II PRAYER CARD

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When Blessed John XXIII was elected the 261st bishopof Rome Oct. 28, 1958, succeeding Pius XII, many

thought he would be a transitional pope, a kindly grandfatheror a simple and serene pastor. A humble man of peasant ori-gins, he had a warm personality and affectionately becameknown as “Il Papa Buono” (“The Good Pope”). On the firstChristmas of his pontificate, Pope John made a point of visit-ing children with polio as well asprison inmates in Rome, saying,“You could not come to me, so Icame to you.”

A month later, however, the 77-year-old pontiff astonished count-less Catholics and non-Catholicsalike by announcing his intentionto convene a historic ecumenicalcouncil that would profoundly af-fect the future of the Church.

During his brief but dynamicpontificate, a friendship also devel-oped between Good Pope John andthe Knights of Columbus. In May1959, John XXIII became the firstpope to visit a Knights of Colum-bus recreation center in Rome whenhe came to St. Peter’s Oratory, nearVatican City.

Years later, regarding an April 10,1961, private audience with PopeJohn, Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart recalled how the HolyFather said that he had heard about the Order’s initiativesduring his youth and later was pleased to witness with hisown eyes “the fruit their charitable assistance was producingin the Oratory of St. Peter.” That work, the pope said, “waslike a flower of American charity transplanted and blossom-ing close to the basilica and tomb of the Prince of the Apos-tles, St. Peter.”

‘THE BREATH OF NEWNESS’As a young priest, Father Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, the fu-ture Pope John XXIII, was drafted into the Italian ArmyMedical Corps where he served as a chaplain to wounded sol-diers. Called to the Vatican in 1925, he was made apostolicdelegate to Bulgaria at age 43. He later served for a decadeas apostolic delegate to Turkey and Greece and for eight years

as apostolic nuncio to France be-fore his appointment as Patriarchof Venice in 1953.

With this background in Vaticandiplomacy, “John understood thepowerful changes that had oc-curred, the dangers the world wasfacing, and the calamitous resultsof the Second World War,” saidMatthew Bunson, a leading au-thority on the papacy and theChurch. “John was elected in 1958at a time of immense social up-heaval. He understood that heneeded to move quickly to dealwith the challenges.”

And move he did, announcinghis intention to convene the Sec-ond Vatican Council just one yearlater. Bunson calls John XXIII “aprophet in his time in anticipatingthe need for the Church to speak

to the modern world in ways the world could understand.”In retrospect, Bunson added, it was “a brilliant way of antic-ipating the new evangelization.”

Pope John Paul II specifically commented on this approachin his homily for John XXIII’s beatification Sept. 3, 2000:“The breath of newness he brought certainly did not concerndoctrine, but rather the way to explain it; his style of speak-ing and acting was new, as was his friendly approach to ordi-

Good Pope Johnand the knightsWith the canonization of Pope John XXIII, the Order remembers

its close relationship with this visionary pontiff

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nary people and to the powerful of the world. Christiansheard themselves called to proclaim the Gospel with renewedcourage and greater attentiveness to the ‘signs’ of the times.”But there were also unintended misunderstandings. Some

interpreters, for example, considered that Pope John’s call forthe Second Vatican Council meant that he had a negative viewof the Church. On the contrary, “John XXIII saw the Churchas strong, vibrant,” Bunson explained. “Yet he wanted to makesure she was able to communicate solutions the world neededin a way the modern world could understand.” With his papacy in full swing, John XXIII’s major contri-

butions continued. He worked to internationalize the Col-lege of Cardinals and anticipated the continued growth ofthe Church in Asia and Africa, which became a hallmark ofthe pontificate of John Paul II. In addition, the pope pub-lished eight encyclicals, including Pacem in Terris (1963) onestablishing peace, the first encyclical addressed to “all menof good will” rather than only to Catholics; Mater et Magistra(1961) on the importance of work, workers’ rights, privateproperty, and principles of solidarity and subsidiarity; andothers on the rosary, penance and St. John Vianney. “Pope John was blessed with an inordinate amount of com-

mon sense,” said Bunson. “He grew up in a family of peasantfarmers and always had a practical view of things. He never

lost that simplicity. He saw himself, to borrow Pope Bene-dict’s description, as a humble worker in the vineyard.”

FRIEND OF THE KNIGHTSIn 1959, more than 600 children greeted the smiling Pope JohnXXIII at St. Peter’s Oratory. The priest-president welcomed himand paid special tribute to the Order for maintaining the recre-ation centers and giving financial support to the oratory’s pro-grams. A report of the event mentioned that the Holy Father wasparticularly happy to have made the visit since Pius XI had beenunable to do so in 1924 when the recreation center was founded. John XXIII could not accept the Order’s invitation to attend

the dedication of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Con-ception in Washington, D.C., later that year. He did, however,commend the Order’s support in several initiatives at the time,including the Pope Pius XII Memorial Library in St. Louis andthe construction of the shrine’s bell tower, known as theKnights Tower. The letter, sent through the Vatican secretaryof state, stated: “The report of these praiseworthy achieve-ments has brought much comfort and consolation to the pa-ternal heart of the sovereign pontiff, who would have meexpress his heartfelt appreciation and warm gratitude.”Likewise, John XXIII remembered the Order in a 1962

letter to Cardinal Richard Cushing of Boston in which he

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Pope John XXIII receives Supreme Chaplain Bishop Charles P. Greco (front center), Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart (second from right), Count Enrico P. Galeazzi,the Knights’ representative in Rome (third from right), and members of the Supreme Council during the Order’s Board of Directors meeting in April 1961.

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highlighted the Knights of Columbus and its record of aidingthe Church.

“Of all the organizations which have demonstrated theirgenerous and unflagging devotion to the Vicar of Christdown through the years, the Knights of Columbus un-doubtedly ranks among the most praiseworthy,” wrote PopeJohn. One year earlier had shared similar thoughts duringa 25-minute audience with the Order’s board members andtheir wives. Of this audience Supreme Knight Hart wrote:“His Holiness opened his address to us by applying to theKnights of Columbus the admonition from the New Testa-ment: ‘Let them see your good works so that they may glo-rify your Father who is in heaven.’ The Knights ofColumbus, he said, have been faithful to that Scriptural ex-hortation with an admirable record of achievement of whichthey may be justly proud.”

Hart further noted that, days after the meeting with theboard, at a private audience with him and Supreme ChaplainBishop Charles P. Greco of Alexandria, La., John XXIII ex-pressed gratitude for the Order’s efforts to have the words“under God” added to the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance so that“some 30 million children, at the beginning of each school day,acknowledged the existence of God and their dependenceupon Divine Providence.”

The Order’s tireless support was no less apparent duringthese audiences. Hart presented the pope with $50,000 to en-large and improve the facilities of Vatican Radio. When theboard later learned the cost for the new transmitting centerwould be $120,000, an additional $70,000 was swiftly sentfor this purpose.

EMBRACING THE WHOLE WORLDThe Knights frequently aided the Holy Father not only materi-ally, but also spiritually. At their 1961 meeting, Supreme KnightHart presented the pope with a spiritual bouquet from theColumbian Squires of North America overflowing with more

than a half-million spiritual offerings for his intentions. Thistradition of offering a spiritual bouquet continued when thepope asked for prayers for the Second Vatican Council’s success.

John XXIII died June 3, 1963, and did not see the councilto completion. During his pontificate, however, he made atremendous and lasting impact on the Church.

“Never within memory has there been such a universal senseof loss as that which spread over the world with the news ofthe death of Pope John XXIII,” said Supreme Knight Hart inan official statement. “Although his reign extended for less

Top left: Pope John XXIII reads a letter from a little girl during theHoly Father’s visit to St. Peter’s Oratory May 10, 1959. The Orderdonated funds to support the oratory’s programs and maintains severalathletic fields in Rome to this day. • Above: The pope leads a prayer forthose gathered at the oratory for his visit.

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than five years, his warmth and amiability combined with thedepth and broadness of his vision to capture the imaginationand affection not only of Catholics but of non-Catholics andeven of unbelievers. He was, to all men, an exemplar of all thatis good in man.”

John XXIII will be remembered for convening the SecondVatican Council, as well as for his social teachings. In August2013, at the 131st Supreme Convention, the Order honoredPope John by resolving “to live out the call of Pacem in Terrisby continuing to serve the poor and the disabled among usand to stand up for life from natural conception to naturaldeath; and … to serve the Church in the tradition of the Sec-ond Vatican Council as lay leaders who serve as the leaven ofthe Church’s message in the world.”

Nonetheless, it is because of John XXIII’s personal holinessand joyful witness to the Gospel that he will be raised to the

glories of the altar and named among the Church’s saints. When Pope John Paul II beatified John XXIII in 2000, he

recalled the late pontiff in these words: “Everyone remembersthe image of Pope John’s smiling face and two outstretchedarms embracing the whole world. How many people were wonover by his simplicity of heart, combined with a broad experi-ence of people and things!”

He was a man of peace “who could communicate peace,”noted Pope Francis on the 50th anniversary of his predecessor’sdeath. “Indeed, Pope John conveyed peace because his mindwas profoundly at peace: he had let the Holy Spirit create peacewithin him.”

Pope St. John XXIII, pray for us!♦

JOSEPH PRONECHEN is a staff writer for EWTN’s NationalCatholic Register.

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When Blessed John Paul II is declared a saint April 27,the date will be meaningful for several reasons. First of

all, it is the Second Sunday of Easter, which has been recog-nized as Divine Mercy Sunday since the Jubilee Year 2000. Inhis homily for the Mass for the canonization of St. FaustinaKowalska, apostle of the message of Divine Mercy and the firstsaint of the new millennium,Pope John Paul II encouragedhis listeners to make St.Faustina’s prayer their own:“Jezu ufam tobie!” (“Jesus, Itrust in you!”).

When, after a long period ofsuffering, the Holy Father fi-nally entrusted his soul to theLord in 2005, it was the eve ofDivine Mercy Sunday. The sig-nificance of this feast for JohnPaul II is no doubt part of thereason why Pope Benedict XVIcelebrated his beatification onDivine Mercy Sunday in 2011.

In 1982, on the first anniver-sary of the assassination attempt against him, John Paul II fa-mously said, “In the designs of providence there are no merecoincidences.” The same could easily be said about the date ofhis canonization, for April 27 was also a date of great impor-tance for John Paul II and the Church in Poland. On this datein 1960, a pivotal incident took place in the city of Nowa Hutaas Karol Wojtyła, then a young auxiliary bishop, served innearby Kraków. For the future pope, the events of this day andthose that followed would come to symbolize the beginningof the new evangelization.

COMMUNISM AND THE CROSSNowa Huta (literally, “The New Steel Mill”), the easternmostdistrict of Kraków, was originally constructed as a new city fol-

lowing World War II. At the heart of the rapidly developingcity stood the Lenin Steelworks, a grim maze of metal catwalks,brick towers and massive blast furnaces — a symbol of the in-dustrial might of the Soviet Union.

The decision to construct Nowa Huta adjacent to the ancientcity of Kraków was a deliberate strategy on the part of the com-

munist authorities. For cen-turies, Kraków had been theintellectual and cultural centerof Poland, due largely to thepresence of the 600-year-oldJagiellonian University. Thehuge steel mill was intended totransform this academic cityinto a prototypical city ofworkers, an embodiment ofcommunist ideology. Accord-ing to communist propaganda,the residents of Nowa Hutawere expected to give up theold Catholic worldview; onepost-war newspaper stated thatcitizens should be “snatched

from the clutches of the clergy” and taught how to love com-munism. Thus would “the new man” be forged.

Certainly, Nowa Huta was a very comfortable place to livein those times. There was a cinema and theater, as well as sportsclubs, libraries and schools. However, one structure was con-spicuously absent from the urban plan: a church. Despite thefact that the majority of the population consisted of Catholicpeasants from the surrounding villages, it was designed to be“the first communist city without God.”

For many years, residents of Nowa Huta tried to get permis-sion to build the church for which they longed. Following whatcame to be called the political “thaw” of October 1956 thecommunist authorities finally gave permission to build a placeof worship in the city square. Citizens immediately placed a

The Birthplace of theNew Evangelization

For John Paul II, the faith and struggle of his countrymen in Nowa Huta heralded a new springtime for Christianity

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Above: Together with then-Cardinal Wojtyła, workers lay the cornerstone — a stone from the tomb of St. Peter given to the Polish cardinal by PopePaul VI — for the Lord’s Ark Church in Nowa Huta in 1969. • Opposite page: Polish faithful gather at the Nowa Huta cross outside Krakówcirca 1960. The large wooden cross was erected in the city square in 1956 and served as a place of worship until a church was finally built.

large wooden cross there, and the square became the center ofthe city’s religious life. Regular prayers, as well as occasionalMasses, were organized near the cross. A church, however, wasnot built. The citizens struggled for years to obtain constructionpermits, until the authorities finally decided that a schoolwould be built in the city square instead. Moreover, it was or-dered that the cross be removed.

On the morning of April 27, 1960, a corps of workersguarded by armed officers arrived early in the morning to teardown the Nowa Huta cross. A group of women saw what washappening and equipped themselves with shopping carts,brooms, bricks and bottles. A short time later, when a shift atthe steel mill was let out, more than a thousand men startedmaking their way toward the cross carrying shovels, pickaxesand other tools. In a spontaneous act of civil disobedience,5,000 workers and citizens suddenly gathered in the square.

After several hours, what began as a nonviolent protest de-volved into street fight against the militia and the police specialforces. Lasting for days, “the defense of the cross” led to bloodyrepression: a dozen people were killed and hundreds were in-jured; more than 500 demonstrators were arrested; 87 receivedprison sentences and many more lost their jobs. The witness ofthe protest, though, was not in vain, for the cross remainedstanding over “the city without God.”

BISHOP WOJTYŁA AND THE NEW EVANGELIzATIONIn “the defense of the cross” in Nowa Huta, a young bishopnamed Karol Wojtyła played an important role. Just two years

earlier, Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak of Kraków had comeunder fire for recommending Wojtyła as an auxiliary bishop ofthe archdiocese. The majority of Kraków priests were criticalof the decision because young Father Wojtyła was inexperiencedand had no family connections among the elite of Kraków.Archbishop Baziak defended the appointment, arguing that hewanted a bishop “to grind, not for decoration.” Moreover, Fa-ther Wojtyła “had been trained as a worker,” and understoodthe theoretical foundations of communism. Such a man, thearchbishop concluded, would be particularly valuable to theChurch in Kraków.

Ordained Sept. 28, 1958, Bishop Wojtyła worked in thisdifficult ministry with great sacrifice. From the beginning, hestrongly supported efforts to build a church in Nowa Huta.After the protests in the city square, he protected victims ofcommunist repression and organized open-air midnightMasses under the cross on Christmas Eve — despite the severePolish winter.

Pope Paul VI was elected in June 1963 and appointed Woj-tyła as the new archbishop of Kraków several weeks after Christ-mas. Later, just three days following the closing of the SecondVatican Council in December 1965, the pope presented Arch-bishop Wojtyła with a stone from the tomb of St. Peter. “Takethis stone back to Poland,” he said. “May the church of NowaHuta be built on it.”

Thanks to the undying perseverance of the city’s Catholics,the first church in Nowa Huta was finally built in 1977. WhenCardinal Wojtyła traveled to Rome for the conclave and was

32 ♦ C O L U M B I A ♦ A P R I L 2 0 1 4

elected pope in October 1978, he took with him a piece of the woodencross of Nowa Huta.

During his first apostolic journey to his homeland in June of the fol-lowing year, the communist authorities did not permit John Paul II tovisit the church in Nowa Huta. Instead, he celebrated Mass at theshrine and medieval Cistercian monastery in Mogiła, a nearby village.Founded in the 13th century, the monastery became famous for hous-ing a relic of the Holy Cross.

In his homily at the shrine June 9, 1979, the pope noted that thehistory of Nowa Huta has been written “by means of the Cross,” ref-erencing the ancient cross of Mogiła and the contemporary cross inthe city. Even amid rapidly changing times and technological advance-ment, John Paul II explained, “the life of the human spirit, which isexpressed by means of the Cross, knows no decline, is always relevant,never grows old.”

He added, “Where the Cross is raised, there is raised the sign thatthat place has now been reached by the Good News of Man’s salvationthrough Love. … A new evangelization has begun, as if it were a newproclamation, even if in reality it is the same as ever. The Cross standshigh over the revolving world.”

It was perhaps the first time that John Paul II used the expression“new evangelization” — an idea that deeply influenced his pontificateand the universal Church. In fact, he twice repeated the sentiment inhis homily at Mogiła, further noting, “From the Cross of Nowa Hutabegan the new evangelization, the evangelization of the second mil-lennium. This church is a witness and confirmation of it.”

THE WITNESS OF CHRISTIAN LIFEFor John Paul II, it seems, the events of Nowa Huta were emblematicof the Church’s task of reintroducing the Gospel in Western societies,especially those that have lost a sense of God to progressive secular-ization. Thus, it is no coincidence that divine providence has linkedthe date of John Paul II’s canonization and the date of “the defense ofthe cross” in 1960.

As it was in Poland more than five decades ago, the cross today isalso, in a sense, being removed from politics, academia, culture, familylife and the media as the Christian faith becomes increasingly margin-alized. The new evangelization, the “great springtime for Christianity,”therefore, depends on our own reaction to the problems of the con-temporary world. It depends on our willingness to start a personal “de-fense of the cross” in the places where we live.

In his encyclical Redemptoris Missio, John Paul II stated, “The wit-ness of a Christian life is the first and irreplaceable form of mission”(42). This witness, he added, involves not only “taking courageousand prophetic stands” in the face of corrupt political powers, but alsoexercising humility; practicing charity toward the poor, weak and suf-fering; and “imitating Christ’s own simplicity of life” (43).

This task of the new evangelization, this call to Christian witness,is certainly difficult and demanding. Yet, inspired by St. John Paul IIand the men and women of Nowa Huta, we too must have the courageto take up and defend the cross in our society today.♦

KRzYSzTOF MAzUR is a member of Our Lady of Mercy Council15128 in Kraków.

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Fourth Degree Knights from the Toledo,Ohio, area look on as then-Bishop LeonardP. Blair of Toledo blesses a statue of John PaulII in mid-2011. The statue is located outsideof Sts. Adalbert and Hedwig Church, a tra-ditionally Polish parish. Knights provided anhonor guard for the blessing, which was heldin honor of the late pope’s beatification. InDecember 2013, Archbishop Blair, a mem-ber of Cathedral of St. Joseph Council 11405in Hartford, Conn., was installed as head ofthe Archdiocese of Hartford, which is thehome of the Supreme Council.

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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

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KEEP THE FAITH ALIVE

‘NO MATTERWHATTHE DIFFICULTIES,

I ACCEPT.’I remember how as a child, in my own

family, I learned to pray and trust in god. Iremember the life in the parish that I at-tended in wadowice, as well as the parish ofst. stanislaus Kostka, in dębniki in Kraków,where I received my basic formation in Chris-tian living. I cannot forget the experience ofthe war and the years of work in a factory.

my priestly vocation came to its full matu-rity during the second world war, during theoccupation of Poland. The tragedy of the wargave a particular coloring to the gradual ma-turing of my vocation in life. In these circum-stances, I perceived a light shining ever morebrightly within me: the lord wanted me to bea priest! I remember with feeling that momentin my life when, on the morning of nov. 1,1946, I was ordained a priest. …

On Oct. 16, 1978, after my election to thesee of Peter, when I was asked, “do you ac-cept?” I answered, “with obedience in faith toChrist, my lord, and trusting in the mother ofChrist and of the Church, no matter what thedifficulties, I accept” (Redemptor Hominis, 2).from that time on, I have tried to carry out mymission, drawing light and strength every dayfrom the faith that binds me to Christ.

POPe JOhn Paul II15th World Youth Day, Rome, Aug. 15, 2000

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