Papal legacy<\/p>\n
The comments of two Catholic women -- one from the world's
\nnewest state, East Timor, the other from New York -- about Pope
\nJohn Paul II, the former leader of about 1.1 billion Catholic
\nfaithful, accurately reflected the feelings of so many people
\naround the globe.<\/p>\n
\"The pope is a figure who has a high level of charisma and can
\nunite all, from various races, ethnic groups and relations,\" said
\nEast Timorese Isabel Ferreira on Friday (before the pope's death
\non Saturday), as quoted by the Agence-France Presse.<\/p>\n
The pope provided pivotal moral strength to people in the
\npredominantly Catholic territory during their struggle for
\nindependence from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The new state was established 10 years after the Catholic
\nleader visited the territory in October 1989, and the pope was
\npersonally involved in helping people there achieve independence
\nwhile continuing to maintain good relations with Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Aedmar Kelly, attending a Friday evening mass at St. Patrick's
\nCathedral in New York, described the pope as \"a very special man,
\nnot only for the Church but for the world\".<\/p>\n
Pope John Paul II's recent illness and his passing on Saturday
\nattracted attention around the globe. For many people, it became
\na family matter, like the experience of losing a beloved father.<\/p>\n
It is no exaggeration to say that the influence and moral
\npower of the pope, who visited more than 100 countries during his
\npapacy, which began in October 1978, reached far beyond the
\nCatholic religion.<\/p>\n
He condemned the killing of Muslims in Bosnia and consistently
\nsupported the struggle for Palestinian statehood. He was among
\nthe outspoken critics of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, but still
\nearned the respect of U.S. President George W. Bush. The pope was
\namong key figures -- in the words of former Soviet Union leader
\nMichael Gorbachev -- behind the collapse of communist regimes in
\nEastern Europe.<\/p>\n
The suffering of Acehnese Muslims also attracted his
\nattention. For years, Pope John Paul II referred to the Muslim-
\nChristian clashes in Maluku and Poso, Central Sulawesi, in his
\nprayers.<\/p>\n
To Indonesian Catholics, a minority in the country, his
\nmessage was always consistent. He said they \"must be fully
\nCatholic and fully Indonesian at the same time\".<\/p>\n
\"I therefore call on all Indonesian Catholics to become
\nchildren of the nation and good Indonesian citizens,\" he said
\nwhen he visited Indonesia in 1989.<\/p>\n
Many Catholics, especially in industrialized countries,
\ndisagreed with the pope's conservative stance on issues like
\ncontraceptives, abortion and same sex marriage. And during the
\npapacy of John Paul II, the Catholic Church was tarnished by
\nnumerous sex scandals, with the pope being seen as doing more to
\nprotect the Church and the priests involved than the victims.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, many Catholics ignored the papal stance on the
\nuse of contraceptives, choosing instead to practice family
\nplanning. But as the leader of the Catholic Church, it was his
\nduty to provide strong religious guidance to his followers,
\nleading them down what he believed to be the correct spiritual
\npath.<\/p>\n
The death of Pope John Paul II is not only a great loss for
\nthe Catholic Church and Catholics around the world, but also for
\nothers regardless of their religion. With globalization and the
\nincreasing divide between the rich and the poor, and the world's
\nfew powerful nations deciding the fate of the rest of the globe,
\nsomeone like Pope John Paul II is needed to speak out for those
\nwithout a voice.<\/p>\n
We have lost not just a great leader but a father; a father
\nwho loved his family and provided strong moral guidance, not just
\nfor his family but also for neighbors and everyone else who knew
\nhim.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/papal-legacy-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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