The Lasting Legacy of Pope John Paul II

In an article entitled "The Lasting Legacy of Pope John Paul II" in the on-line journal, The New Pantaguel, Eduardo J. Echeverria offers an insighful reflection on the abiding points of significance in the previous pontificate. These include, in summery form, the following:

First, John Paul II revitalized the papacy by recovering its evangelical roots. This is the thesis of papal biographer George Weigel. It means that he recovered the biblical teaching that the Church, and by implication the papacy, has a missionary nature, the great commission to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and this has revitalized the evangelical dynamism of the Church....

Second, John Paul II has provided an authoritative and authentic interpretation of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). In the wake of the Council, there seemed to be a mentality afoot that everything was up for grabs .... As Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger wrote in his own memoirs about this time, "The impression grew steadily that nothing was now stable in the Church, that everything was open to revision. More and more the Council appeared to be like a great Church parliament that could change everything and reshape everything according to its own desires."

In response to this mentality of liberalizing Christianity, John Paul has left the Church with a prolific and substantial body of writings--for example, books presenting the rich texture of his Catholic worldview including Crossing the Threshold of Hope and, most recently, Memory and Identity: Conversations at the Dawn of a Millennium; great encyclicals including the "Splendor of Truth," the "The Gospel of Life" (Evangelium Vita), "Faith and Reason" (Fides et Ratio) and the "Mission of the Redeemer" ....

Third, John Paul II also provided a profound interpretation of the spiritual, moral, and intellectual dynamics of Western modern, secularist culture.... The Holy Father has left us the basic theological and philosophical framework in which to discern between the authentic and inauthentic, truth and falsity, good and evil in our culture, and thus to accomplish the task that the Apostle Paul gave us: "Test everything--hold on to what is good and avoid every form of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22)....

Fourth, John Paul II's commitment to authentic ecumenism is also a fundamental element of his legacy to the Church. Christ calls all His disciples to unity (John 17:20-23). Of course, as John Paul II correctly writes, "Love for the truth is the deepest dimension of any authentic quest for full communion between Christians" (Encyclical Letter, Ut Unum Sint--"That All May Be One," May 25, 1995, no. 36)....

Fifth, John Paul II's commitment to the youth of the world is certainly one of the most visible and, indeed, powerful signs of his papacy. In overwhelming numbers they responded positively to his message: "Christ alone is the cornerstone on which it is possible solidly to build one's existence. Only Christ--known, contemplated and loved--is the faithful friend who never lets us down, who becomes our traveling companion, and whose words warm our hearts (cf. Luke 24:13-35)." These words, spoken by John Paul II to an estimated six hundred thousand young people in Toronto on July 27, 2003 at the seventeenth, and, sadly, his last World Youth Day reflect the Holy Father's consistent message to young people since 1985....

Sixth, John Paul II's commitment to a society of peace, justice and freedom is also essential to his legacy. How does he define peace? ... "The order which prevails in society is by nature moral. Grounded as it is in truth, it must function according to the norms of justice, it should be inspired and perfected by mutual love, and finally it should be brought to an ever more refined and human balance in freedom." ....

In conclusion, the most important element of John Paul II's lasting legacy is his conviction that, as he often put it, Jesus Christ is the answer to the question that is every human life. This is the heart of the Gospel, and he tirelessly and boldly proclaimed it throughout his life: "Our age needs to hear the revealed truth about God, about man, and about the human condition. The moment is right for kerygma. The pastoral challenge ... is to proclaim with renewed vigor 'Jesus Christ, the one Savior of the world, yesterday, today and forever' (cf. Hebrews 13:8) ... The challenge is enormous, but the time is right. For other culture-forming forces are exhausted, implausible, or lacking in intellectual resources adequate to satisfy the human yearning for genuine liberation--even if those forces still manage to exercise a powerful attraction, especially through the media. The great achievement of the [Second Vatican] Council is to have positioned the Church to engage modernity with the truth about the human condition, given to us in Jesus Christ who is the answer to the question that is every human life."

[A tip of the hat to Ed Echeverria: gratia tibi!]