During his papacy John Paul II travelled the world. He visited 118 countries on every continent except Antarctica. He sought unity and solidarity with other cultures and religions, and became the first pope in history to visit a Jewish synagogue and a Muslim mosque. With this he showed us clearly what Christian love is all about – showing love towards everyone. By using his faith in God as well as his personal virtues he brought together many rival nations and made ally nations even closer. The Pope was also able to contribute in the fall of communism. During his papacy Pope John Paul the second did something no other pope had ever done before, he expanded his appearances to all corners of the world. This helped him gain the respect and trust of many followers. He appealed to crowds of people through his waves, handshakes, hugs, and kissing of people, young and old.
We all know how difficult it can be to have the honesty to admit past mistakes and then to ask for forgiveness. As a representative of the Christian faith, the pope issued an official apology for the sins of Christians against Jews. In living out his beliefs in confronting and apologizing for past errors, the pope exemplified the virtue of courage.
Pope John Paul showed his virtue of forgiveness when way back in 1981 he was involved in an assassination attempt. The assassin, Mehmet Ali Agca, was taken into custody and put in prison. When the Pope was heeled, he made a visit to Agca to forgive him for what he had tried to do. This anecdote is just one of the many forgiving acts that John Paul II performed. He taught forgiveness in every speech he gave and every visit he made.
The death of Pope John Paul II brought tears to the eyes of millions. He had touched an uncountable number of lives and led an infinite number of people. Pope John Paul II affected people through love, leadership, and forgiveness. Not only did he affect the 20th century, but his words and teachings will also affect many centuries, and people, to come.
