Joe Pitts, April 8, 2005

Pope John Paul II was one of the most influential figures of the modern era.

Like President Ronald Reagan, John Paul II was given credit by many in the wake of his passing for the fall of communism. It’s a shame that most people did not realize his critical role before his death. Basically, He provided the spiritual impetus for the fall of communism.

Wall Street Journal columnist and former Presidential speechwriter Peggy Noonan recalls a memo sent by the communist government in Poland to schoolteachers on the eve of the Pope’s visit in June 1979. The memo instructed schoolteachers on how they should explain the visit. It said:

The pope is our enemy... Due to his uncommon skills and great sense of humor he is dangerous, because he charms everyone, especially journalists. Besides, he goes for cheap gestures in his relations with the crowd, for instance, puts on a highlander's hat, shakes all hands, kisses children. . . . It is modeled on American presidential campaigns. . . Because of the activation of the Church in Poland our activities designed to atheize the youth not only cannot diminish but must intensely develop. . . In this respect all means are allowed and we cannot afford any sentiments."

It’s funny that in trying to hide the truth, the communists had to admit it first. This short excerpt from that directive tells a lot about the way in which Pope John Paul II impacted people and challenged human tyranny.

His was a life about things far greater than the fall of communism. One lesson that impressed me about his life was how he interacted with leaders of other faiths. As he reached out to the Orthodox Church, Islamic and Jewish leaders, he consistently reaffirmed the truth of his Christian faith. This is a line not easily walked: loving people with whom you disagree, while holding fast to your own convictions. I will remember this lesson as I meet with people from here and around the world.

John Paul II also acted as the conscience of a world struggling through severe growing pains. In his view, true freedom can only exist within the confines of a moral framework. In pointing this out, John Paul II shed light on the paradox of free societies -- in order to be truly free, a citizen’s freedom must operate within the bounds of moral constraints.

This view joins that of our Founders who believed that virtue and religious values within the rule of law were the glue necessary to sustain a free society. "Statesmen... may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand," our nation’s second President John Adams once said. It’s a sentiment that many of us here in the 16th District hold as well.

Among the central values of the Pope’s political and social framework was the dignity and sanctity of human life in all its stages. In addressing the violence of the 20th century he observed that the loss of life and hope could best be attributed to a distorted view of the value of human life and a misunderstanding of freedom. It is this fundamental view of human life that I believe should cause us to inspect our nation’s laws and policies.

As long as our nation forgets that life is more precious than a choice, that the strong have an obligation to protect the weak, and that our laws must always favor life we will be doomed to repeat the mistakes that Pope John Paul II fought and prayed so fervently to remedy.

Pope John Paul II’s legacy will be complicated and rich in spiritual insight, much like his life. We may not have all agreed with him on matters of theology, but most of us found something in him to admire.

As we remember him this week, let us also rededicate ourselves to the view that the very freedoms we enjoy rise and fall on how our culture treats human life in all its stages.

Congressman Joe Pitts, a Republican, represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District, which includes Lancaster County and parts of Chester County and Berks County.