Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my
colleagues in paying tribute to the life and legacy of Pope John Paul II. Pope
John Paul II was one of the great religious leaders of modern times, and an
eloquent champion of human freedom and dignity. Unlike all-too-many misguided
religious leaders, the Pope understood that liberty, both personal and economic,
is a necessary condition for the flourishing of human virtue.
Others who cheered the Pope’s opposition to abortion and euthanasia were puzzled or hostile to his opposition to war. Many of these pro-life supporters of war tried to avoid facing the inherent contradictions in their position by distorting the Just War doctrine, which the Pope properly interpreted as denying sanction to the Iraq war. One prominent conservative commentator even suggested that the pope was the enemy of the United States.
In conclusion, I am pleased to pay tribute to Pope John Paul II. I would encourage those who wish to honor his memory to reflect on his teachings regarding war and the sanctity of life, and consider the inconsistencies in claiming to be pro-life but supporting the senseless killing of innocent people that inevitably accompanies militarism, or in claiming to be pro-peace and pro-compassion but supporting the legal killing of the unborn.
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