Pope John Paul II Has Now Completed His Earthly Pro-Life Ministry

By Ernest L. Ohlhoff and Kathleen Sweeney

Pope John Paul II died on April 2, and the whole world joined in honoring and mourning the loss of this great religious leader and staunch pro-life champion. At his death, he was surrounded by the prayers and love of his household, who described him as serene and kindly until the moment when God took him home.

Born Karol Wojtyla in 1920 in Poland, Pope John Paul II maintained an assertive spiritual leadership under Nazi and Communist regimes as priest, bishop, and cardinal in Krakow. He was elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 1978 at the age of 58.

From fatherhood radiates life, and from the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, there radiated a culture of life that has been a beacon of hope to the whole world. Just as a biological father is called to protect his children and honor the mother who has nurtured them in her womb, this religious father has been unfailing in his call for protection of the unborn, and eloquent in his honor of mothers whose task of nurturing the coming generation is central to the survival of civilization.

Pope John Paul II was quintessentially a father in an age when the culture of death has under mined the role and dignity of fatherhood. In contrast John Paul II's spiritual fatherhood seemed virtually to beget the culture of life.

His sensitive understanding of the pressure exerted on women in a pro-abortion culture led him to urge all sectors of society to provide welcome and support to new life and to parents in difficulty. Perhaps most moving were his words to women who had personally experienced the tragedy of abortion:

"The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope.... With the friendly and expert help and advice of other people, and as a result of your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone's right to life." (Evangelium Vitae #99)

The Pope's magnificent 1995 encyclical, Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), has been a treasure for the pro-life community, providing depth of insight, compassion, and courage for those struggling to oppose abortion and euthanasia. With clarity and forthrightness, he reminded us that "we need now more than ever to have the courage to look truth in the eye and to call things by their proper name... procured abortion is the deliberate and direct killing... of a human being...." (Evangelium Vitae #12)

He brought pro-life issues into the center of debate on an international stage, urging that the sanctity of life is a universal norm and not a moral option for contemporary society. He sent Vatican representatives to oppose pro-abortion pressure groups at UN development conferences, which helped to steer international statements away from including "right to abortion" language.

Long before Terri Schindler Schiavo's tragic death focused our nation on the problem of euthanizing disabled persons, the Holy Father wrote in The Gospel of Life (#58): "A person, who because of illness, handicap, or more simply just by existing, compromises the well-being or life-style of those who are more favoured tends to be looked upon as an enemy to be resisted or eliminated. In this way a kind of conspiracy against life is unleashed."

While John Paul II was himself struggling with debilitating and painful illness and difficulty in speaking, he authorized statements from the Vatican in defense of Terri Schindler Schiavo's right to life, and the duty to always provide nutrition and hydration to the ill and disabled. The Holy Father had recently spoken to the Pontifical Academy for Life (which he founded), "confirming that the quality of life is not interpreted as economic success, beauty and physical pleasure, but consists in the supreme dignity of the creature made in the image and likeness of God. ... No one can be the arbiter of life except God himself."

The Holy Father had a special love for young people. He knew that these youth are the future of the Church, of the world, and of the pro-life movement. Moreover, he simply cherished each one as the unique human person he or she is.

And to the amazement of sceptics, young people flocked to him. They saw in him a loving father and a courageous hero who was not afraid to speak strong words to an opposing culture of death. He held up to them truth and hope in life, calling them to defend the life of the unborn and the vulnerable threatened by euthanasia.

At so many of Pope John Paul II's public appearances and liturgies, he paid special attention to the sick and to people with disabilities. To highlight the dignity of these brothers and sisters so dependent on our love and care, they were given a place of honor at the celebrations. His compassion and loving attention to each one sent a message to the world of the worth of every person's life and our call to respect their right to life.

The National Right to LifeCommittee owes a special debt of gratitude to Pope John Paul II for the constant support and education he provided on life issues. On April 24, 1996, His Holiness was honored for his outstanding pro-life leadership at NRLC's third annual Proudly Pro-Life Awards Dinner by a unanimous proclamation of the Board of Directors.

"Be not afraid!" was the constant message of both Pope John Paul II and of Jesus. As we pro-life people face a mountain of grave problems amid serious opposition, we can be inspired by the indefatigable spirit of John Paul II who gave us a model of hope, persistence, energetic outreach, and courage as well as his legacy of teaching on life issues.

We must now carry on this pro-life work that was so dear to his heart. He is counting on us.