Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I feel sorry for our younger Catholics today because they have no memory of St. John Paul II as pope. To me, he was the greatest figure of the 20th century. His emergence inspired Catholics and even people of other faiths all over the world. It seemed that when he became pope, the world was his parish. Every week, he was in another country embracing the faith and evangelizing the masses. It is one thing to have a winning personality, but John Paul had a great intellect as well. You could feel his presence lift the spirit of Catholic community. In his first visit to Chicago, over 2 million people gathered in Grant Park — a true Catholic fest.

Rarely does one person encounter the challenges that confronted John Paul Il (Karol Wojtyla). Losing his mother at a very young age in the 1920s, he was raised by his father and older brother. At age 12, he lost his brother, a 26-year-old doctor who died treating others during a scarlet fever epidemic. When the future saint was 20, his father died. Studying for the priesthood in an underground seminary in his native Poland and persecuted by the Nazis, he survived World War II only to have his country occupied by the Communists. He, as a bishop and later a cardinal — along with his mentor, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski — battled with the Soviet Union for the freedom of the citizens of his country.

His election in 1978 as the first non-Italian pope in 455 years breathed hope into the eastern European communities dominated by the Soviet Union. The electrifying election of Karol Wojtyla jump-started the Catholic world.  Up to 100,000 people gathered each week for the papal General Audience. Without a doubt, Pope John Paul II was one of the most popular figures in the world. I was privileged to meet this daunting figure on February 22, 1980. It was a treasured moment at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Knowing his popularity, I thought that he would be a distant personality. Instead, Pope John Paul II was a warm and endearing spiritual leader who reached out and gave me a hug. I never dreamed that I would ever be hugged by a saint, at least one who was declared by the Church. I have heard that the Soviet Union thought that the election of John Paul II meant the end of the Soviet Union. They knew that millions upon millions of Poles would follow his word even to their death. Perhaps the 1981 attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square was an indication of just how frightened the Soviets were. The Solidarity movement would establish the cancer to cause the death of the Soviet Union. The Berlin Wall collapsed in 1989.

Many famous figures use ghost writers and even religious leaders have consultants. I sometimes find it difficult to compose this Love One Another message of about 650 words a week. Yet the amount of theological writings of John Paul II is incredible. I am sure his philosophical perspective gave quality to the depth of his teaching. He wrote more in 2 1/2 years than Pope Pius XII did in 20 years. The amazing fact is that he wrote these major works in his own hand. His theological works then grounded Catholic teachings for decades to come.

He loved the youth and one of his great legacies is World Youth Day. When he suggested that there should be a gathering of the youth throughout the world attended by the pope, many critics tried to dissuade him, thinking it would be a colossal failure, but he persisted and millions of our young celebrated their faith and recognize the universality of the Church. It was and continues to be a great success.

St. John Paul II was a figure that comes along once in few hundred years. The spirit he generated caused the faithful to chant “Santo subito!” (Sainthood now) upon his death in 2005.  I feel privileged to have been named a bishop by Pope John Paul II. I and many others have been inspired by his love for the Church and faithfulness to Jesus’ teachings. Today, October 22, is the feast day of St. John Paul II. Together we asked St. John Paul II: pray for us. He led the entire Church to understand in truth its responsibility to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Sincerely,

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki

Archbishop of Milwaukee          

Note: This blog originally appeared as the October 22, 2024, "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.