John Paul II, reconciler

The third-longest reigning pope in history, John Paul II, will be remembered not for the length of his papacy or for his final moments in the public eye, but for his willingness to reach beyond the realm of religion and into the world of the political.\nJohn Paul II was the most well-traveled pope in history, making many foreign journeys to visit not only Catholics but oppressed peoples everywhere. His trips to Poland defied an openly atheist government and were critical in reinforcing the effort to topple Communist rule. The pontiff's dedication to traveling to countries never before visited by popes meant he was almost constantly on the move, visiting more than 120 countries in his 26 years as the head of the Church.\nThis incessant traveling was no doubt a result of the pope's emphasis on his role as "The Servant of the Servants of God." Pope John Paul II very much emphasized this reserved ideal, opting to refer to himself as "I" rather than with the royal plural "we." He chose not to participate in a papal coronation, instead electing for a simple inauguration, and never donned the papal tiara in his 26 years. His revolutionary, modest approach to the office meant a focus on the people and their lives.\nJohn Paul II's travels desired to build bridges between Roman Catholicism and other world religions, large and small. He became the first pope to visit Auschwitz, the first pope to enter a synagogue, the fist pope to enter a mosque in an Islamic country and the first pope to visit Greece -- the center of the Eastern Orthodox Church -- in 1,291 years. In 2000, the pope visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem in a further attempt to strengthen Jewish-Christian relations. While there are still points of contention among the Roman Catholic church and other religions, increased understanding can be attributed to his willingness to step outside the bounds of his church and extend a hand.\nUnder his direction, the papal office became a political office as well as a religious one. The pope openly denounced communism and played an important role in its elimination from Poland and elsewhere; he encouraged the talks between President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev that would eventually end the Cold War; he openly denounced apartheid; and he wrote letters in an attempt to prevent the Gulf War. He took a firm stance against war,\nJohn Paul II's papacy was also marked by an increased openness that rejected the ritual secrecy of the past. In one of his most controversial moves, the pope openly asked for forgiveness on behalf of the Church in 2000 for the sins it had committed throughout its history, including violence toward Jews and other ethnic and religious minorities. Though the apology was criticized by some as "too little too late," others embraced it as representative of the papal openness.\nWhile he has been criticized for the falling number of Catholics, especially in industrialized nations, Pope John Paul II's commitment to reaching out to third world countries has been lauded. There can be no doubt that the man born as Karol Woljtyla had a lasting effect on Christianity as well as world politics.