Life and work of the charismatic pope John Paul II, whose pontificate lasted from 1978 to 2005, could be summarised in one sentence: he was the second St. Paul. It is not hard to notice the parallel between the life of St. Paul the Apostol and John Paul II. Both of them were great travellers, patriots and sufferers and for both of them it could be said that they were “chosen tool” in God's hands. Through the relationship which John Paul II had with his homeland Poland as well as with the occupant of Poland, the USSR we can read out his interpretation of communism. It was not the standpoint of the Pope Pius XII, but a new view which insisted on respecting human rights. In that context the Pope's endeavour for the respect of the freedom of faith within various political systems and the ecumenical endeavour and dialogue with other religions should be emphasized. In short, the activity which the Pope practiced throughout his pontificate, some events and his decisions roused admiration on one and disapproval on the other side.
First of all, on political and social level the Pope has been assigned merits for the fall of Berlin wall in 1989, which marked the beginning of the agony of communism and its descent from the political stage. Further, the Pope's more than hundred journeys list him among the greatest modern messengers of faith. The Pope led the Catholic Church into the third millennium of the history of Christianity and he was also the first Pope to use electronic mail sending a message to the Church in Oceania on 22 November 2001. No other Pope in history has so many times uttered mea culpa for the sins and failures which the people from the Church and catholic believers have during centuries committed against other people. He was the first Pope in the history who prayed in the mosque and in synagogue and preached in an evangelic church. Finally, no other Pope in the history of Church was so much engaged in attaining peace in the world and promotion of civilisation of love and no one has been such an idol for the youth as the Pope John Paul II.
However, John Paul II has experienced also hard disappointments and painful disapprovals. His ecumenical prayer did not find an echo with the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and the dialogue with Jews has not fulfilled expectations. Basic principles arising from the Gospel, which he bravely preached, were often disapproved. In the world which gradually began to lose its Christian foundations, the Pope’s messages about the intercommunity, tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation were gladly heard, but his calls for fight against abortion, drugs, euthanasia and same-sex-marriage communities suffered severe criticism and the Pope was called conservative and a person with no feeling and understanding for the new time. Also, some theologians reproached him for taking firm dogmatic standpoints and insisting on the division of laics and clergy in the Church, for not being flexible when the talk was about going to pension of the church officers and for his persistent opposing to theological consideration of the possibility of allowing women to be ordained for priests.
However, one thing is sure! Pope John Paul II, as a man who has not lived the usual human stereotypes, has left a major moral trace in the most recent history of the world. He was and has remained Il Grande (the Great), a name he was given by the youth gathered in St. Peter's Square waiting to be given notice about his demise. His way of cross which began with the assassination attempt and his being wounded on 13 May 1981, gave him an aureole of a martyr and being ill and weak he was demonstrating the force of Christ's Church which - disapproved, pursued and wounded because of sins and failures of its very members has transformed its own defeats in victories, and its weakness into strength, borne by the promise of its founder, the Christ: Do not fear, I am with you always, even till the end of the age!
