Karol Wojtyla, The Man

Regardless of your politics or your religion, it is irrefutable Pope John Paul was a man who bestowed tremendous inspiration upon the world.

Back in February 1997, I had the opportunity to meet Lech Walesa in Warsaw. He told our group the fall of communism should be credited to the Polish Pope. The Solidarity movement was as much a moral crusade as it was a labor-political campaign.

This is a man who saw the worst side of humanity, and yet, faith carried him into the priesthood. As Nazis exterminated Polish Jews, this man risked helping Jews escape Europe. During Communist occupation, this man, now a bishop, stood strong against Stalin. When an assassin failed to complete his mission, this man went to the prison to forgive.

I do not know if Pope John Paul was a successor to St. Peter, as catechism teaches, but I do believe that the Holy Spirit delivered this man, Karol Wojtyla, through historic times to be an historic leader.