Bishop commends the pope on his 25 years

October 9, 2003

Dear Friends in Christ,

On October 16th the Holy Father will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his election as pope. It was the first time in some 500 years that a non-Italian was elected to the See of St. Peter. Pope John Paul II has shown throughout these years his deep personal attachment to the Lord, his remarkably penetrating mind and wonderful teaching ability, his outgoing spirit and his desire by word and deed to make the most significant substance of the Second Vatican Council a living experience of renewal for the Church.

Already in 1979, with the appearance of his first Encyclical, Redemptor Hominis ("On Redemption and the Dignity of Man"), the Holy Father announced what would be his major preoccupation all these years: the human person, made in the image and likeness of God, is meant for communion with God, is meant for love. Only on the basis of such an insight is the human condition able to meet the problems and challenges and graces of this present time. The Holy Father's deep Catholic faith was forged in the fires of the enormous tragedies of World War II and Communist Poland. As a priest and bishop, he had to face very trying circumstances, yet his faith and genuine human solidarity with others helped to give him the basis for his philosophical and theological development, a development that was deepened and expanded by his participation in the Second Vatican Council. It is little wonder, in hindsight, that he was elected in 1978. He had reached that habit of mind and heart as human person, priest, bishop and cardinal that let him be seen by others as a courageous and spiritual shepherd. He has filled the papacy with such dynamic presence!

You recognize that shepherd's presence, whether at a grand liturgical ceremony at St. Peter's, at his appearance at the United Nations asking for the end of the arms race, at his stirring talks during his many journeys around the world or at a simple meeting with children in the Diocese of Rome. He has been a great sign of a disciple and a priest wherever he goes.

His teaching and writing have been prolific. He has written encyclicals on the Holy Spirit, on the World of Work, on the Mother of God, on Economic Questions, on Catechesis, on the Meaning of Human Suffering and on the Holy Eucharist, to name but a few of the topics he has treated. In every talk and gesture, the glory and sacredness of the human person is addressed. Perhaps the zenith was reached in his great Encyclical on moral and human life, aptly called The Splendor of Truth.

Others have rightly concluded that in the future we will call this Pope: "John Paul, the Great," a title reserved to only a handful of the successors of St. Peter.

In recent years, we have watched the Holy Father grow old, made fragile by the attempt on his life in 1981, by sickness and the burdens of office. Even here, his passive diminishments have been displayed for all to see. Even here shines the dignity and glory of the human person, redeemed by Christ and destined for full communion with God. The pope knows many languages, but he speaks most eloquently of all in the language of gesture and human solidarity, the language of prayer and contemplation.

It is a good time for us then, on his 25th anniversary, to pray for him, celebrate the Liturgy for his intentions, read anew his writings and act with solidarity and mercy towards all our brothers and sisters, those both inside and outside the household of faith.

May we carry with us his passionate concern for human life, the right to life of the unborn and sick, the need for resources of the poor and oppressed, the worthy and reverent celebration of the sacramental life of the Church and the firm conviction of the truth of Jesus Christ, shining in the teaching of His Church.

Finally, may we draw close to the Mother of God. There has not been one time in the midst of a homily, talk, encyclical or speech where the Holy Father has failed to mention the prayers of the Mother of God and her substantial role in the life of every Christian disciple. When we pray our next Rosary, perhaps meditating on one of the new Mysteries of Light that the Holy Father added to the 15 traditional mysteries of the Rosary last year, let us remember Pope John Paul and commend him to her prayers, surely her most obedient and loving friend these past 25 years!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

†Most Rev. Daniel N. DiNardo
Bishop of Sioux City