IF WE COULD JUST SEE THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD Buddha became enlightened when he realized the world was one. That everything was interconnected. The trees, birds, even you and I. We are all one and we are all each other’s keepers. When the sun rises, it shines its light to grow our food. The sun never asks for praise, it just does its job to take care of the whole. So why are we not taking care of each other? In this whole in which we live, children are dying from starvation, trees are being cut down, rivers are being polluted, and children are living in the streets. Jesus’ teaching was very simple. To love everything even your enemy. But yet children are living in the streets, being raped and worst of all receiving no love and we as a whole world of one are doing nothing about it. In Bogota, Columbia there is a woman with only one leg who is taking care of children the world has forgotten about. Esperanza has taken them into her home (60 children to be exact). She has done everything she can to provide for these wonderful children. Even though food is sometimes scarce and taking care of 60 children, no matter where your are at, can drive you a little crazy. She, Esperanza, does all this with love in her heart and faith that she will always be able to provide for God’s greatest gift, the children, the lost, the poor and the sick.
money or time let’s remember Jesus once said, “The least among you can do as I and even greater." So let’s all look deeply and figure out how we can help. I'm not expecting for one person to write a check for 41,000 dollars (even though that would be nice), I'm looking for everyone to come together and help these children in need. With Pope John Paul II not with us any more let’s honor him by helping these children. Showing our love. Pope John Paul II was sort of like Jesus. Wherever he went, he would kiss the poor children and pray for them, even Mother Teresa was his hero. Let us all fill the shoes of the Pope who loved and forgave everyone. That’s what he would want. If you’re standing on one shore and you would like to go to the shore on the other side you cannot sit there and pray please God take me to the other side. You must start to swim. Swimming is your prayer. Show action. So let’s come together and help these children in need. If you would like to help please contact me to see how we can help each other help these wonderful children.
The greatest gift you can give is --Thank you, Aaron Jackson love and the more you give the Esperanza (with the crutch), her husband more you have. Love never debehind her and all the children creases by being shared... The day before I arrived to visit this home, Esperanza found out that the landlord is kicking them out to the streets unless they can come up with 41,000 dollars to buy the home that actually is a shelter for the orphans of Bogota. This home just barely gets by day by day and now they have to come up with $41,000US; they have a hard time just paying rent! I know its hard to fathom that someone in this world would kick 60 children on the street but its also hard to fathom that you, I and even the Homeless Voice are letting 150,000,000 children live on the street world wide. I did not get the opportunity to meet with this landlord to ask him to look deeply into his heart and allow these children to continue to live there, like I wanted to. After they told me what was going to happen I began to think of how I can do my part to help these children. I told them that I would write a front page article in the Voice for them and pray that people would come together to help them. After telling them that I would write a story, a plea for help, if that’s what you want to call it, everyone began to cry, even some of the older children Aaron Jackson of the Chick Grant Foundation and who lived there and who understood what was going on and what was about the Homeless Voice to happen. So who is with me on this on one of his aid relief trips in Bogota, Columbia. effort to help these wonderful chilAaron has done this for many years and dren? This kids were already forgotpersonally finances his trips. ten about once in their lives until they came into this home full of For more information contact: love. It would be very sad to take The Homeless Voice's International Division , kids off the streets, give them love, and then return them back into The North American Alliance for International Aid and the streets. So, I plead with anyone The Chick Grant Foundation. and everyone to help these children. Call 954-924-3571 and ask for either Whether you are Buddhist, Christian, Islamic or Hindi, let’s come together Sean Cononie or Aaron Jackson as one and help our Father's children. email Sean at scononie@homelessvoice.org 925-6466 For all of you who say you would Aaron Jackson at lovinghaiti@yahoo.com love to help but just don’t have the
How’s My Vending? Call (954) X101
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A GREAT MAN’S LEGACY Growing up Karol Wojtyla was the youngest Pope ordained in the 20th Century. He grew up in the southern Polish village of Wadowice, the son of an army sergeant. He had a strict, devout upbringing. His mother and brother died before he was 14. As a young man he enjoyed sports, including soccer and skiing, and had a love of acting and the theatre. He was still a teenager in 1939 when German tanks invaded Poland.
Young priest During World War II and the Nazi occupation he worked as a labourer, studying theology in secret. In 1944 following a crackdown on religious teaching he was forced into hiding. Many of his friends went to concentration camps. Continuing his studies after the war, he was ordained a priest in 1946. By 1964 he was Archbishop of Krakow and three years later he became a cardinal. During these years he gained respect for his stand against Poland's Communist regime.
A blessing from the outsider Karol Wojtyla was an unexpected choice for Pope when he was elected in 1978, aged 58. He was the first non-Italian for 450 years and was seen as an outsider for the job. He took the name John Paul II. One of his first visits was to his homeland - the first papal visit to a country under Communist rule. But his tour gave strength to people and helped sow the seeds of the revolution that would come 10 years later. After two frail predecessors he was seen as a man of action.
Assassination attempt John Paul II has gone on to become the most widely traveled pope in history. His advisers warned him that his growing influence could make him an assassination target, but he kept up the pace of public appearances. On 13 May 1981 he was shot and seriously wounded by a hired would-be assassin in St Peter's Square as he leaned out of his vehicle. He is pictured here just moments after the shooting.
World tours Security around the Pope has been tight since the 1981 attempt on his life. His regular foreign tours have given the world a new word Popemobile. The glass-sided, bullet-proof cars, where John Paul II stands and waves to the crowds, have become a familiar sight. He is pictured here on a trip to the Czech Republic.
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A GREAT MAN’S LEGACY Historic moments The Pope has seen many political changes across the world including the fall of Communism in eastern Europe and the end of apartheid in South Africa. In September 1995 he visited South Africa and is pictured in Johannesburg with the country's first black President, Nelson Mandela.
Ill health In recent years Pope John Paul II has been dogged by arthritis and Parkinson's Disease. He had a hip replacement operation in April 1994 and on a trip to France in 1996 he collapsed. But he has continued to travel widely. In January 1998 the Pope visited Cuba and was greeted by Fidel Castro, the Communist leader of a traditionally Roman Catholic country.
Religious journey The Pope on Mount Nebo, west of Amman, Jordan, where Christians believe Moses first glimpsed the Promised Land. It was part of a tour of religious sites in 2000 to mark the millennium. In February he became the first Pope to visit Egypt, a mainly Muslim country, where he called for harmony between different religions. In March he expressed sympathy with the plight of the Palestinians, and spoke of the Church's sadness at the persecution and anti-Semitism directed at Jews by Christians.
Jubilee Year Pope John Paul II set himself a hectic schedule for 2000, but was determined to lead celebrations for the Catholic "Jubilee Year". The high point was the traditional Easter message delivered in a solemn open-air ceremony in St Peter's Square. The following month he celebrated his 80th birthday. Despite increasing frailty he has kept working, making an emotional trip to his native Poland in 2002 and voicing his opposition to the war in Iraq in 2003.
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PERSONAL THOUGHTS Pontiff's Final Journey Begins With Solemn Procession By VICTOR L. SIMPSON, AP
VATICAN CITY (April 4) - The body of Pope John Paul II was borne solemnly into St. Peter's Basilica for public viewing Monday, four days before being entombed in the grotto below, where pontiffs throughout the ages have been laid to rest. Applause rose from the tens of thousands of mourners in St. Peter's Square as 12 pallbearers, flanked by Swiss Guards in redplumed helmets, carried the body on a crimson platform through the Bronze Door into the piazza. Many more pilgrims were converging on Rome for the funeral, set for Friday by the College of Cardinals, which held two meetings in its first gatherings ahead of a secret vote later this month to elect a successor to John Paul. The funeral is expected to draw up to 2 million people, including heads of state such as President Bush and his wife, Syrian President Bashar Assad, and Prince Charles, who delayed his wedding a day to attend. The procession, to the backdrop of priests chanting the Litany of the Saints, began at the Sala Clementina in the Apostolic Palace, where John Paul had lain in state since Sunday. Televised by Vatican TV, it moved slowly through the frescoed halls, giving the general public a rare view of the inner sanctums of the Vatican. Before the procession, the camerlengo responsible for running church affairs following the pope's death Saturday, Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo, said prayers and blessed the body with holy water, as chanting echoed off the walls of the ornate Vatican hall. Video images of the procession were shown on giant screens in the square and on the main avenue leading to the basilica, where more than 100,000 pilgrims, mourners and tourists solemnly
watched. At least 60 members of the College of Cardinals, the redcapped princes of the church, accompanied the procession, along with bishops and other prelates. Emerging through the Bronze Door, the procession moved across St. Peter's Square toward the basilica's central doors to applause, an Italian gesture of respect. The pallbearers paused at the top of the stairs and turned the pope's body to face the crowd briefly before entering. Martinez presided over a prayer service in Latin before the public viewing. At 2 p.m., police estimated the crowd stood at 100,000 waiting to get its last glimpse of John Paul in the basilica designed by Bramante and Michelangelo and dedicated in 1626. It was built on the site where St. Peter, the first pope, is believed to have been buried. ''It's extraordinary. It happens once in a lifetime,'' said Uwe Kunzmann, a civil engineer from Karlsruhe, Germany. ''We want to be in the crowd.'' Chief Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said John Paul would ''almost surely'' be buried in the tomb where Pope John XXIII lay before he was brought up onto the main floor of the basilica. John XXIII, who died in 1963, was moved after his 2000 beatification because so many pilgrims wanted to visit his tomb, and the grotto is in a cramped underground space. In the first meeting Monday, the cardinals took an oath of secrecy, as called for in the Vatican document outlining the procedures following the death of a pope. In the second one, they made their decisions on the funeral rites, NavarroValls said. There were 65 cardinals attending. There had been speculation that the pope might have left orders to be buried in his native Poland, but Navarro-Valls said John Paul ''did not show any such wish.'' Poles have hoped the heart
Reporter's Notebook: Remembering a Pope By Greg Palkot
ROME — When the word came Saturday night that Pope John Paul II had died, I was standing on a platform in front of St. Peter’s Square helping FOX News Channel report the news. It was, also, as if a big chunk of my life had just come full circle. Because in important ways, the life and times of the Holy Father have been intertwined with my own. On a personal, professional … and spiritual level. The cool April night turned immediately electric with the breaking news of the pontiff's death. It felt almost identical to another cool night at the Vatican 26 1/2 years ago. It was October 1978, and the Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was presented to the world from
of the pope - the first non-Italian pope in 455 years - might may be placed in Wavel Cathedral in Krakow, where Polish saints and royalty are buried. Asked if this was ruled out by burial in St. Peter's, Navarro-Valls did not directly reply, saying he was merely transmitting information on decisions taken by the cardinals Monday. The Rev. Eduard Berezowski, who was bringing 50 pilgrims from Gdansk, Poland, for the funeral, said he saw no problems with the burial in St. Peter's. ''It's only right. He was the bishop of Rome,'' he said. Under Vatican tradition, Friday is the latest the funeral could have been held. John Paul will be buried immediately after the 10 a.m. (4 a.m. EDT) service, Navarro-Valls said. ''It will be a moment without precedent,'' Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni told Repubblica Radio on Monday. ''Rome will grind to a halt to guarantee the full development of the demonstration of love for the pontificate, guaranteeing the maximum security for all the heads of state who will arrive to pay homage to the pope.'' The meeting at the Bologna Hall of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace was the first gathering of the world's Roman Catholic cardinals since the pontiff's death. After taking the oath, they were to open any final documents he had prepared for them. Navarro-Valls made no mention of a date for the papal election, or conclave, implying that no such decision had been made. By church law, the conclave must take place within two weeks of the burial. Another meeting was scheduled for Tuesday. To accommodate the thousands of faithful expected for the public viewing this week, the basilica will remain open except for three hours overnight for cleaning, Navarro-Valls said. On Sunday, John Paul lay in state in the Apostolic Palace,
the balcony of St. Peter’s as the newly-elected Pope John Paul II. I was in the crowd that night. I was a (very) greenbehind-the-ears journalist, on basically my first foreign assignment, producing for WABC-TV’s longtime New York anchorman Bill Beutel. I, like most of the assembled thousands, was not very familiar with the new Pope. I remember the collective "Who?" spoken by the crowd when the name was read out. I raced back with the tape of the event, to cut a story at our hotel, and ran it over to Italian TV to send it back by satellite (that’s how we did I it in those days). I had a sense that something very important had just happened in the world. And that night also confirmed to me my sense that reporting on that world was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. In the years to come, my instinctual feeling that Pope John Paul II was a man of unique moral power proved out. I was with the crowds of people during his first tour of Ireland when he de-
dressed in crimson vestments and a white bishop's miter, his head resting on a stack of gold pillows. A rosary was wound around his hands and a staff was tucked under his left forearm. A Swiss Guard stood on either side as diplomats, politicians and clergy paid their respects at his feet. Rome is bracing for a crush of mourners expected to pay tribute to the pope who reigned firmly over his flock for 26 years with unbending loyalty to its ancient precepts, resisting calls from modernizers for the church to adapt. A massive campsite is being set up on the outskirts of the city to house pilgrims, and city hall has increased the number of bus runs and prepared bus shuttles to and from the capital's two main railway stations. In St. Peter's Square on Monday, lamp posts were covered with impromptu memorials, including flowers, icons, and handwritten messages and children's drawings pinned up with multicolored candle wax. ''Even if we fear we've lost a point of reference, I feel like everybody in this square is united with him in a hug,'' said Luca Ghizzardi, a 38-year-old nurse among the throng, with a sleeping bag and a handmade peace flag at his feet. The pope died of septic shock and cardio-circulatory collapse, but had been struggling with declining health for many years. He was 84. As they begin preparatory meetings, the cardinals quietly will be sizing up on another for the task of electing the 265th successor to the first pope, St. Peter. John Paul was 58 when the cardinals elected him in 1978. He appointed all but three of the 117 cardinals entitled to attend the secret conclave electing the new pope, but there is no guarantee that his legacy of conservatism will continue into the new reign. John Paul opposed divorce, birth control and abortion, the ordination of women and the lifting of the celibacy requirement for priests, issues that sharply divided the church. Associated Press Writer Nicole Winfield contributed to this report.
manded that the terrorists tearing apart Northern Ireland lay down their arms and bombs. And I was with a crowd of kids in Madison Square Garden during a papal trip to New York. In an era marked by disco and debauchery, it turned into an impromptu lovefest with the pope. Every time he started to speak, the young people would interrupt him with their chants of affection. After a while, he just gave in. When they finally let him speak, he responded with a wry grin and a whimsical "ooo-ooo" sound. For many minutes. He was having fun. The next time I covered the pope was in 1985 at one of the massive Consistories of Cardinals he would hold. Our focus was on Cardinal John O'Connor, who would succeed Cardinal Terence Cooke as the head of the New York archdiocese. But Pope John Paul II was always a presence in our coverage. By that time he had been through the shocking near-death experience of an assassi(Continued on page 5)
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PERSONAL THOUGHTS VIVA PAPA VIVA PAPA! Before Cosac came into my life, I was one of those world travelers. Mine were pilgrimages though. I traveled the world visiting shrines that are so precious to my Catholic faith. In 1998 while visiting Fatima in Portugal and Lourdes in France, I had the wonderful opportunity to be “this close” to our Holy Father. The reason for his official trip to France escapes me now, but I with my group were privileged to attend Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II at an air base there. Driving to the base you couldn’t help notice the security measures that were taken. Gendarmes everywhere, directing traffic, blocking off streets and standing watch everywhere. The Pope seemed to have more security than I have seen for presidents. I always write up a story of these trips, but now, like the rest of my life, it is packed in storage since I live at the shelter. And there lies packed away, all my emotional writings. We Floridians had no idea what we were getting into, weather-wise, on this trip. It was my first. We arrived at the base very early and it was very very cold. You would think that with the tens maybe hundreds of thousands of people there, the ground would have warmed up from our body heat, but no it didn’t. So we waited for hours, trying to keep reasonable warm, shifting from one frozen foot to another. Time passed so slowly waiting for his helicopter to arrive, but finally we got the good news...he would be arriving shortly. That shortly seemed like an eternity. I was so excited that we would see our Holy Father, but my emotions couldn't hold a candle to the crowd's. When the aircraft was finally in sight, even though it was just a dot in the sky, shouts of “Viva Papa” filled the air. Faces glowed with anticipation and love for this man...just to be in his presence was the joy of a lifetime. The crowd was made up of groups, families, couples and sometimes just individual persons. The families had their coolers with refreshments for the kids and lots of blankets. Everyone was bundled up, except for those poor Floridians! Folks from France, other countries in Europe and many many American groups...religious and otherwise consisted of the well to do as well as the obviously poor. After landing, John Paul entered his Popemobile for the long ride down the runway to the altar that had been set up for him. I was only two rows deep from the barricade that had been set up and the way that everyone was bouncing around, I knew I would never get a picture of him. I tapped the gentleman in front of me on the shoulder and asked if he would use my camera and take a couple of pictures for me. He was German and spoke no English, so we worked in gestures...and he was very happy to accommodate me. Of course I can’t share those pictures with you because they are in storage too. The altar was set up far out our sight, but there were movie screens set up all over and facing in all directions so that everyone could see well. The Pope gave his homily in five languages. If I remember it Mass was something over two hours long at least. One of the most awesome scenes I have ever seen in my life was the distribution of Holy Communion. After the Consecration, hundreds of priests and lay Eucharistic Ministers came from the altar, each carrying a Ciborium containing the Body of Christ, and proceeded along each side of the runway. Each was accompanied by an usher, for lack of a better word, who carried a large yellow and white striped umbrella. Yellow and white are the papal colors. As they took their obviously pre-assigned stations, I couldn’t help wondering how this was going to be done orderly and safely so a Host would not fall on the ground. I have never in my life seen such order, such reverence during that next hour or so. These umbrellas marked the Communion stations. Earlier on our trip, we had visited Fatima where one of the crowns for the statue of Our Lady contains the bullet that nearly killed the Pope years earlier. During this trip I thought I would finally come to know the origin of those papal colors, yellow and white, but never got an absolute answer. I could only keep with a printed explanation...“The most likely origin of the papal colors are the keys of St. Peter, which in the modern era have usually been
rendered in gold and silver - heraldic tinctures which equate with the colors yellow and white. The colors were first adopted for the papal cockade in 1808, when Napoleon's occupying army forcibly incorporated the papal army into his own, and papal loyalists desired a symbol of resistance. The colors next appeared in civil and state ensigns (1825) and in infantry colors (ca. 1835).” In 1999 on a trip to Wadowice (which is about 35 miles from Krakow) in Poland, we visited the childhood home of Karol Wojtyla where he and his father continued to live after his mother passed away in 1929. The apartment has been converted into a museum run by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth outside, a sign reads in Polish...Dom Rodzinny, Ojca Swietego, Jana Pawea II ...that this is the family home of John Paul II. The room where Karol was born is now the kitchen area. On display were photographs, hiking equipment and a pair of skis. Various cassocks from priest, bishop, archbishop, cardinal to papal were on display. Just a note: both of his parents are buried in Wadowice. His father died in Krakow but his body was returned home. Across the street from the apartment is a 15th century church where John Paul was Baptized, received his First Communion and Confirmation. Having lost most of his immediate family, Karol came to this church every day and knelt for hours before the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. I know that a many non-Catholics think or believe that we pray to statues and pictures. We don’t. They are only visual reminders of someone we love and respect and hopefully try to imitate. It is nothing more than the man or woman who kisses the picture in their wallet or on the mantle of one of their loved ones who is not present or who has died. It is only a symbolic act of love. Karol dedicated or committed himself to Our Lady and took as his papal motto...Totus Tuus, Maria…(All yours (All that I am, All that I will ever be) O Mary) He has kept that commitment. Over the past few days the world has come to know this man almost personally. But I wonder if you know that his father expected him to study in a chilly room just to toughen him up and develop his concentration. That he was hit by a streetcar as a youth and later as a college student was hit by a truck...which is the reason for his slight shoulder stoop that was noticeable when he was tired. His nickname given by his friends was Lolek.. He was multi-lingual, yes...but it was age 10 that he learned German, age 13 Latin and age 14, Greek. One of his playmates of Jewish heritage would play an important role as a go-between the Vatican and the Israeli officials when the long overdue recognition was given to Israel. As youngsters they would spend many afternoons sitting in the kitchen next to the coal stove listening to Lolek’s father tell stories about Greece, Rome and Poland. Karol, in turn, would go to his friend's 10 room apartment that overlooked the town square and listened to music performed by a string quartet comprised of two Jews and two Catholics. Interestingly, Pope John Paul II has kissed the tarmac/ land of every country he visited. We could read and write volumes and watch endless documentaries on Pope John Paul II, and I don't think we could ever fathom this man. One of his great hopes was to awaken the entire world to the dignity and responsibility of defending human rights. Archbishop Justin Rigali (a former Vatican Aide) said: “To a suffering humanity in need of and to people weighted down with problems, Pope John Paul II tells the story of God’s love, he reminds the world that God really does love everyone, that this love is available and requires a response.” I can only end with a comment that the world has lost a truly Christ-like human being. I hope and pray that his successor will continue his work. With love and respect—Lois Cross
To all our supporters and advertisers…Please forgive us for using your space to honor Pope John Paul II Your support is love for your fellow man and we thank you (Continued from page 4)
nation attempt in St. Peter’s Square. He had come back and recovered from that and showed he was nothing short of a man of steel on the throne of St. Peter. Oh, and there was one other "presence" on this trip … an Italian journalist named Patrizia Spinelli. She had her own experiences working on stories about the pope, including translating for an ABC anchor during one papal visit. In between official Vatican functions I proposed to her. A year later we were married … in a PolishAmerican church in Riverhead, N.Y., by a monsignor with his own strong ties and admiration … for Karol Wojtyla! Twenty years on, my ties with Patrizia are still very much bound. In the years to come, I would report on a pope who would increasingly make his mark on the world and the church, sometimes in ways that people might not agree with. But always in a way that made clear to everyone he knew where he and the Catholic Church were coming from and going to. At the same time, though, this "Superman" of the church was also being wracked by personal illness.
The hard facts of what we now know was the effects of Parkinson’s disease were taking their toll on Pope John Paul II. The last time I saw him up close was in the last stages of his papacy. He went to Turin, Italy, to pray to and bless the famous Shroud of Jesus there. By some quirk of fate, his "Popemobile" stopped in front of the church containing the Shroud … right in front of where I was standing. The Pope sat, behind bulletproof glass, about five feet from me. I had a chance to study him. He was obviously taking a great deal of medication. His skin looked puffy, his eyes glazed, his body frozen. And he seemed riveted with pain. There, I thought, was a great man with a great mind with a huge list of accomplishments and still much to do … trapped by a disease that would try to hold him down. And I thought of my mother, who at that time was in the final throes of Lou Gehrig’s Disease. That debilitating illness slowly robs a person of the ability to speak … then eat … then function, much like what happened to the pope. Before it got so bad, we would communicate as
well as we could in the kitchen of my family home on Long Island. First my mother would try to talk. Then she just made motions. And, just like the pope, she chose to pass away in her our home. It wasn’t the Apostolic Palace … but there was a priest nearby at the end. Over the kitchen table in our home there is a tattered calendar featuring Pope John Paul II. He was well-loved by my mother and father, not least because this "Polish" pontiff was actually part Lithuanian. The families of my mother and father both come from the Baltic country. So now you understand why I carry around a little extra "baggage" when I cover the life and death of Pope John Paul II. I don’t think it’s gotten in the way of my reporting. I’ve taken a few ideological shots at him from time to time. But I’ve also seen him as a man of incredible brilliance, strength and warmth, the likes of whom we won’t see in a very long while. And who just happened to be in the background of a good part of my adult life. Rest well, Holy Father.
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A MESSAGE FROM JOHN PAUL Pope's Message on World Day of Peace, 1/1/2004 MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE WORLD DAY OF PEACE, 1 JANUARY 2004 ... AN EVER TIMELY COMMITMENT: TEACHING PEACE
My words are addressed to you, the Leaders of the nations, who have the duty of promoting peace! To you, Jurists, committed to tracing paths to peaceful agreement, preparing conventions and treaties which strengthen international legality! To you, Teachers of the young, who on all continents work tirelessly to form consciences in the ways of understanding and dialogue! And to you too, men and women tempted to turn to the unacceptable means of terrorism and thus compromise at its root the very cause for which you are fighting! All of you, hear the humble appeal of the Successor of Peter who cries out: today too, at the beginning of the New Year 2004, peace remains possible. And if peace is possible, it is also a duty! A practical initiative 1. My first Message for the World Day of Peace, in the beginning of January 1979, was centered on the theme: "To Reach Peace, Teach Peace". That New Year's Message followed in the path traced by Pope Paul VI of venerable memory, who had wished to celebrate on January 1 each year a World Day of Prayer for Peace. I recall the words of the late Pontiff for the New Year 1968: "It would be Our desire, then, that this celebration take place each year as a sign of hope and promise, at the beginning of the calendar which measures and guides the journey of human life through time, in order that Peace, with its just and salutary equilibrium, will dominate the unfolding of history yet to come".(1) Faithful to the wishes expressed by my venerable Predecessor on the Chair of Peter, each year I have continued this noble tradition by dedicating the first day of the civil year to reflection and to prayer for peace in the world. In the twenty-five years of Pontificate which the Lord has thus far granted me, I have not failed to speak out before the Church and the world, inviting believers and all persons of good will to take up the cause of peace and to help bring about this fundamental good, thereby assuring the world a better future, one marked by peaceful coexistence and mutual respect. Once more this year I feel bound to invite all men and women, on every continent, to celebrate a new World Day of Peace. Humanity needs now more than ever to rediscover the path of concord, overwhelmed as it is by selfishness and hatred, by the thirst for power and the lust for vengeance.
unattainable ideal. The Church, on the other hand, has always taught and continues today to teach a very simple axiom: peace is possible. Indeed, the Church does not tire of repeating that peace is a duty. It must be built on the four pillars indicated by Blessed John XXIII in his Encyclical Pacem in Terris: truth, justice, love and freedom. A duty is thus imposed upon all those who love peace: that of teaching these ideals to new generations, in order to prepare a better future for all mankind. Teaching legality 5. In this task of teaching peace, there is a particularly urgent need to lead individuals and peoples to respect the international order and to respect the commitments assumed by the Authorities which legitimately represent them. Peace and international law are closely linked to each another: law favours peace. From the very dawn of civilization, developing human communities sought to establish agreements and pacts which would avoid the arbitrary use of force and enable them to seek a peaceful solution of any controversies which might arise. Alongside the legal systems of the individual peoples there progressively grew up another set of norms which came to be known as ius gentium (the law of the nations). With the passage of time, this body of law gradually expanded and was refined in the light of the historical experiences of the different peoples. This process was greatly accelerated with the birth of modern States. From the sixteenth century on, jurists, philosophers and theologians were engaged in developing the various headings of international law and in grounding it in the fundamental postulates of the natural law. This process led with increasing force to the formulation of universal principles which are prior to and superior to the internal law of States, and which take into account the unity and the common vocation of the human family. Central among all these is surely the principle that pacta sunt servanda: accords freely signed must be honoured. This is the pivotal and exceptionless presupposition of every relationship between responsible contracting parties. The violation of this principle necessarily leads to a situation of illegality and consequently to friction and disputes which would not fail to have lasting negative repercussions. It is appropriate to recall this fundamental rule, especially at times when there is a temptation to appeal to the law of force rather than to the force of law. One of these moments was surely the drama which humanity experienced during the Second World War: an abyss of violence, destruction and death unlike anything previously known.
The science of peace 2. The eleven Messages addressed to the world by Pope Paul VI progressively mapped out the path to be followed in attaining the ideal of peace. Slowly but surely the great Pontiff set forth the various chapters of a true "science of peace". It can be helpful to recall the themes of the Messages bequeathed to us by Pope Paul VI for this occasion.(2) Each of these Messages continues to be timely today. Indeed, before the tragedy of the wars Respect for law which at the beginning of the Third Millennium are still causing bloodshed 6. That war, with the horrors and the appalling violations of human digthroughout the world, especially in the Middle East, they take on at times the nity which it occasioned, led to a profound renewal of the international legal tone of prophetic admonishments. order. The defense and promotion of peace were set at the centre of a broadly modernized system of norms and institutions. The task of watching over global peace and security and with encouraging the efforts of States to preA primer of peace 3. For my part, throughout these twenty-five years of my Pontificate, I serve and guarantee these fundamental goods of humanity was entrusted by have sought to advance along the path marked out by my venerable Prede- Governments to an organization established for this purpose - the United cessor. At the dawn of each new year I have invited people of good will to Nations Organization - with a Security Council invested with broad discrereflect, in the light of reason and of faith, on different aspects of an orderly tionary power. Pivotal to the system was the prohibition of the use of force. coexistence. This prohibition, according to the well-known Chapter VII of the United The result has been a synthesis of teaching about peace which is a kind of Nations Charter, makes provision for only two exceptions. The first confirms primer on this fundamental theme: a primer easy to understand by those who the natural right to legitimate defense, to be exercised in specific ways and in are well-disposed, but at the same time quite demanding for anyone con- the context of the United Nations: and consequently also within the tradicerned for the future of humanity.(3) tional limits of necessity and proportionality. The various colours of the prism of peace have now been amply illusThe other exception is represented by the system of collective security, trated. What remains now is to work to ensure that the ideal of a peaceful which gives the Security Council competence and responsibility for the prescoexistence, with its specific requirements, will become part of the con- ervation of peace, with power of decision and ample discretion. sciousness of individuals and peoples. We Christians see the commitment to The system developed with the United Nations Charter was meant "to educate ourselves and others to peace as something at the very heart of our save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our religion. For Christians, in fact, to proclaim peace is to announce Christ who lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind".(4) In the decades which is "our peace" (Eph 2:14); it is to announce his Gospel, which is a "Gospel of followed, however, the division of the international community into oppospeace" (Eph 6:15); it is to call all people to the beatitude of being ing blocs, the cold war in one part of the world, the outbreak of violent con"peacemakers" (cf. Mt 5:9). flicts in other areas and the phenomenon of terrorism produced a growing break with the ideas and expectations of the immediate post-war period. Teaching peace 4. In my Message for the World Day of Peace on 1 January 1979 I made A new international order this appeal: To Reach Peace, Teach Peace. Today that appeal is more urgent 7. It must be acknowledged, however, that the United Nations Organizathan ever, because men and women, in the face of the tragedies which con- tion, even with limitations and delays due in great part to the failures of its tinue to afflict humanity, are tempted to yield to fatalism, as if peace were an (Continued on page 7)
The Voice of Love
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A MESSAGE FROM JOHN PAUL (Continued from page 6)
members, has made a notable contribution to the promotion of respect for human dignity, the freedom of peoples and the requirements of development, thus preparing the cultural and institutional soil for the building of peace. The activity of national Governments will be greatly encouraged by the realization that the ideals of the United Nations have become widely diffused, particularly through the practical gestures of solidarity and peace made by the many individuals also involved in Non-Governmental Organizations and in Movements for human rights. This represents a significant incentive for a reform which would enable the United Nations Organization to function effectively for the pursuit of its own stated ends, which remain valid: "humanity today is in a new and more difficult phase of its genuine development. It needs a greater degree of international ordering".(5) States must consider this objective as a clear moral and political obligation which calls for prudence and determination. Here I would repeat the words of encouragement which I spoke in 1995: "The United Nations Organization needs to rise more and more above the cold status of an administrative institution and to become a moral centre where all the nations of the world feel at home and develop a shared awareness of being, as it were, a family of nations".(6) The deadly scourge of terrorism 8. Today international law is hard pressed to provide solutions to situations of conflict arising from the changed landscape of the contemporary world. These situations of conflict frequently involve agents which are not themselves States but rather entities derived from the collapse of States, or connected to independence movements, or linked to trained criminal organizations. A legal system made up of norms established down the centuries as a means of disciplining relations between sovereign States finds it difficult to deal with conflicts which also involve entities incapable of being considered States in the traditional sense. This is particularly the case with terrorist groups. The scourge of terrorism has become more virulent in recent years and has produced brutal massacres which have in turn put even greater obstacles in the way of dialogue and negotiation, increasing tensions and aggravating problems, especially in the Middle East. Even so, if it is to be won, the fight against terrorism cannot be limited solely to repressive and punitive operations. It is essential that the use of force, even when necessary, be accompanied by a courageous and lucid analysis of the reasons behind terrorist attacks. The fight against terrorism must be conducted also on the political and educational levels: on the one hand, by eliminating the underlying causes of situations of injustice which frequently drive people to more desperate and violent acts; and on the other hand, by insisting on an education inspired by respect for human life in every situation: the unity of the human race is a more powerful reality than any contingent divisions separating individuals and people. In the necessary fight against terrorism, international law is now called to develop legal instruments provided with effective means for the prevention, monitoring and suppression of crime. In any event, democratic governments know well that the use of force against terrorists cannot justify a renunciation of the principles of the rule of law. Political decisions would be unacceptable were they to seek success without consideration for fundamental human rights, since the end never justifies the means. The contribution of the Church 9. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Mt 5:9). How could this saying, which is a summons to work in the immense field of peace, find such a powerful echo in the human heart if it did not correspond to an irrepressible yearning and hope dwelling within us? And why else would peacemakers be called children of God, if not because God is by nature the God of peace? Precisely for this reason, in the message of salvation which the Church proclaims throughout the world, there are doctrinal elements of fundamental importance for the development of the principles needed for peaceful coexistence between nations.
THIS GUY WAS A GREAT MAN... AND I MISJUDGED HIM! I know some of you are wondering what the death of the Pope has to do with homelessness. I am sure I will get a few calls on this whole issue as I do when I write something abut God or religion. But let me tell you this, any world’s religious leaders or political leaders are to solve problems. When certain problems exist during peacetime it causes homelessness and with wars it causes homelessness and with no food in the mouth and bellies of little ones, it causes them to die. In most social problems, it always causes homelessness. Just look at the events of the 911 attacks on The World Trade Center. Many people became homeless. Any time there is a world leader in place, that world leader is to protect and serve these nasty problems that cause poverty and homelessness. As an advocate for the poor, I sometimes criticize others who are religious leaders. Even as a Catholic I have spoken out about the decisions our Church makes. I have also lobbied our leader, the Pope, about the world hunger problem asking him to put it on the top of his list. I questioned, as a Catholic, why we all worry so much about abortion when it was easer to feed a starving kid a million miles away so they too would not die. Not that I am in favor of abortion because I am not, I just figured it was a lot easier to feed people than getting thousands of people to change their mind. To me, a lot more children die daily from the problem of starvation than from abortion and that we could fix the international starvation problems. I have asked why my Pope did not make the statement, “No longer can any world leader allow children or any other person
History teaches that the building of peace cannot prescind from respect for an ethical and juridical order, in accordance with the ancient adage: "Serva ordinem et ordo servabit te" (preserve order and order will preserve you). International law must ensure that the law of the more powerful does not prevail. Its essential purpose is to replace "the material force of arms with the moral force of law",(7) providing appropriate sanctions for transgressors and adequate reparation for victims. This must also be applicable to those government leaders who violate with impunity human dignity and rights while hiding behind the unacceptable pretext that it is a matter of questions internal to their State. In an Address which I gave to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See on 13 January 1997, I observed that international law is a primary means for pursuing peace: "For a long time international law has been a law of war and peace. I believe that it is called more and more to become exclusively a law of peace, conceived in justice and solidarity. And in this context morality must inspire law; morality can even assume a preparatory role in the making of law, to the extent that it shows the path of what is right and good".(8) Down the centuries, the teaching of the Church, drawing upon the philosophical and theological reflection of many Christian thinkers, has made a significant contribution in directing international law to the common good of the whole human family. Especially in more recent times the Popes have not hesitated to stress the importance of international law as a pledge of peace, in the conviction that "the harvest of justice is sown in peace by those who make peace" (Jas 3:18). This is the path which the Church, employing the means proper to her, is committed to following, in the perennial light of the Gospel and with the indispensable help of prayer. The civilization of love 10. At the conclusion of these considerations, I feel it necessary to repeat that, for the establishment of true peace in the world, justice must find its fulfillment in charity. Certainly law is the first road leading to peace, and people need to be taught to respect that law. Yet one does not arrive at the end of this road unless justice is complemented by love. Justice and love sometimes appear to be opposing forces. In fact they are but two faces of a single reality, two dimensions of human life needing to be mutually integrated. Historical experience shows this to be true. It shows how justice is frequently unable to free itself from rancour, hatred and even cruelty. By itself, justice is not enough. Indeed, it can even betray itself, unless it is open to that deeper power which is love. For this reason I have often reminded Christians and all persons of good will that forgiveness is needed for solving the problems of individuals and peoples. There is no peace without forgiveness! I say it again here, as my thoughts turn in particular to the continuing crisis in Palestine and the Middle East: a solution to the grave problems which for too long have caused suffering for the peoples of those regions will not be found until a decision is made to transcend the logic of simple justice and to be open also to the logic of forgiveness. Christians know that love is the reason for God's entering into relationship with man. And it is love which he awaits as man's response. Consequently, love is also the loftiest and most noble form of relationship possible between human beings. Love must thus enliven every sector of human life and extend to the international order. Only a humanity in which there reigns the "civilization of love" will be able to enjoy authentic and lasting peace. At the beginning of a New Year I wish to repeat to women and men of every language, religion and culture the ancient maxim: "Omnia vincit amor" (Love conquers all). Yes, dear Brothers and Sisters throughout the world, in the end love will be victorious! Let everyone be committed to hastening this victory. For it is the deepest hope of every human heart. to die because of lack of medicine and food.” I often sat and asked the question why was my faith not doing more to feed the world when we could afford to do it. You see, when you feed the world, it doesn't have to be done forever, because you would “feed” them also with tools and education and come up with new plans. Plans perhaps like wells for water, that will allow them at least temporary relief in the crisis, then work on more permanent projects to enable them to become more self sustaining. They will learn and work and will feed themselves. I really sometimes got mad that the Pope did not fix this problem. I thought that he should demand all world leaders to get off their duffs..... I mean get motivated and stop the death of children who were starving to death. Well, I tell you today as I was researching him , I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears. He said these words long before I lobbied him , “Children are dying because of starvation.” I was wrong, dead wrong about the most powerful religious figure in the world. He cared , this Pope did more than any other world leader on the topic of starvation. He was a true humanitarian always trying to solve the world problems. Whether it was peace or starvation this little guy (in size only) was right there in the middle of it all. I truly hope that someone will fill his shoes, continue his work and aim for his goals and solve the world hunger problem in honor of Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II you were truly a man to try to be like and we here will try to be more like you. You were truly a man of forgiveness and a heart of Gold.
-Sean Anthony Cononie
POPE JOHN PAUL II was truly a disciple sent by GOD to continue spreading the Word of Jesus for all mankind of any religious background. He will be greatly missed...he was truly a man who has dedicated his life to teach everyone on how great the teaching of our Lord are a better way of life and that all our crosses we carry are a reflection of how much we can endure and he will be remembered as a man who dedicated his life to make sure that the word of GOD will live forever. I will miss you greatly Pope John Paul II and my prayers are a reflection of your word. -Vincent Macrina
COSAC HOMELESS ASSISTANCE CENTER, INC P.O. BOX 292-577 DAVIE, FLORIDA 33329
The Homeless Voice is also remodeling the main shelter. We need lots of supplies and if any person would like to sponsor a room to be named after your church , civic group or in memory of a loved one, please send in your donation of $5000.00. Smaller donations can be done with Home Depot Gift Cards or by sending in your checks . You can help us make our building able to serve homeless families and individuals in a better way. As one would imagine when you have a large group of people living in a small building the wear and tear creates more wear and tear. So we need your help keeping this building safe and free from all the germs that come in. Once we tile the walls and floors it will be safer and free of germs.
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Don’t forget the Homeless Voice is allowing churches , schools, and civic groups to raise funds so we can pay off our mortgage. We need to expand and it will be hard to expand having many more mortgage payments. Once we get this one paid off we are off to buy a new and bigger shelter to accommodate the community. Call 954.924.3571
A nation that kills its own children is a nation without future. An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a lie guarded. Young people are threatened… by the evil use of advertising techniques that stimulate the natural inclination to avoid hard work by promising the immediate satisfaction of every desire. The cemetery of the victims of human cruelty in our century is extended to include yet another vast cemetery, that of the unborn. Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.
Quotes from Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II