Pope John Paul II is known by many Americans in many different ways. To faithful Catholics, he is the visible leader of the Church instituted by Jesus Christ. To others, he may be a good guy with high standards who should not force them on others. To even others, he may be a confused conservative, reactionary misogynist, or sexually repressive (and repressed) ignoramus. While these may be some of the more popular (mis)conceptions of the current Bishop of Rome, there is one important facet of Pope John Paul II that is often ignored by a great number of Americans -- his incredible philosophical interest and wisdom.
During his six-day visit to the United States, the Pope focused on a number of themes which apply to all persons regardless of their religious creed or lack thereof. Some areas where Pope John Paul II particularly challenged his listeners include the nature of human freedom and the proper uses of this freedom, the obligations of society toward the poor and disadvantaged, and the need to dispel cynicism and fear of the future in order to move forward.
While addressing the General Assembly of the United Nations on October 5, the Pope stated, "We must overcome our fear of the future. But we will not be able to overcome it completely unless we do so together. The
'answer' to that fear is neither coercion nor repression, nor the imposition of one social 'model' on the entire world. The answer to the fear which darkens human existence at the end of the twentieth century is the common effort to build the civilization of love, founded on the universal values of peace, solidarity, justice and liberty."
There was no surprise that the Pope reaffirmed his opposition to abortion and euthanasia as violations of the fundamental dignity of human person. However, American conservatives and others who might applaud his stance on these issues might have been turned off or challenged by other statements which Pope John Paul II made concerning the role of society in its relationship to the poor. These remarks seem to have been intentionally directed towards counteracting the current political and social climate in the United States.
Speaking at Giants Stadium during his homily, the Pope questioned, "Is present-day America becoming less sensitive, less caring towards the poor, the weak, the stranger, the needy? It must not! Today, as before, the United States is called to be a hospitable society, a welcoming culture. If America were to turn in on itself, would this not be the beginning of the end of what constitutes the very essence of the American experience?" To those familiar with Pope John Paul II, these words should not be surprising. For even though he is best known for his "traditional" moral teachings regarding sexual matters or abortion, garnering him a reputation as a "conservative," he has consistently proclaimed the Gospel message of faith, hope and charity for all, often placing him in the "liberal" camp. This ambiguity arises from the fact that the Pope is not a political figure, but a religious leader attempting to present Christ and Christ's message to the entire world.
Throughout all of his appearances during last week's visit to the United States, the theme to which Pope John Paul II returned again and again was the nature and use of human freedom as a condition for fruitful human living. There can be no hope for the future, no charity towards others, no generosity and no faith unless there is first a proper understanding of human freedom and its correct use. This emphasis on freedom was prominent during each speech given by the Pope during his visit to the United States, but was given heightened prominence during his address before the General Assembly of the United Nations on October 5. "Freedom is the measure of man's dignity and greatness," he noted, and, "Living the freedom sought by individuals and peoples is a great challenge to man's spiritual growth and to the moral vitality of nations. The basic question which we must all face today is the responsible use of freedom, in both its personal and social dimensions."
President Freedman addressed the question of "How ought one to lead a life?" during his speech at this year's convocation. Pope John Paul II asked, "How ought we to live together?" The answer to both questions can be found in the right understanding of freedom, which the Pope defined during his Sunday homily in Baltimore. Freedom "consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." We ought to listen to and reflect upon the words spoken during this past week by Pope John Paul II as we face our future and the future of our human society.
