Diocesan News
Reflection on Pope John Paul II's Life & Ministry by Archbishop Neill
Reflection on Pope John Paul II’s Life & Ministry by Dr John Neill, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin at the Solemn Mass of Remembrance in the Pro-Cathedral Dublin, 5 April 2005
On January 14th in the year 2000, John Paul II invited a large ecumenical representation of church leadership representing Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Reformed, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal and Old Catholic traditions to the opening of the Holy Door of St.Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome symbolising in that Jubilee year that together “we recognise Christ as the single and common door of Salvation�. On that occasion he invited the Archbishop of Canterbury and Metropolitan Athanasius of Heliopolis to assist him. This gesture was so typical of one who preached a message of peace, and was intent on being an instrument of reconciliation and healing to fulfil the prayer of Jesus “that all might be one�.
Countless churches and theologians around the world have studied one of his key encyclicals “Ut Unum sint�. It is a privilege for me representing the Church of Ireland to share with you this evening in paying tribute to a very special person who led the Roman Catholic Church for over a quarter of a century and influenced for good so many people, reflecting to them the joy of faith in Jesus Christ.
His vision for the healing of the divisions of Christendom was lived out at a difficult time on the ecumenical journey – when we had passed beyond the euphoria of the friendship arising from Vatican 2 – and were at the more difficult stage of looking at not only what unites, but trying to understand somewhat more of what divides. It was often simply the friendship and warmth of John Paul II that allowed differences to remain differences between brothers and sisters in Christ – family differences.
John Paul II turned the eyes of many towards the Eastern Churches to a healing of a schism far older than the sixteenth century Reformation. He turned the eyes and minds of all Christians to an encounter with other faiths – symbolised above all by that historic meeting in Assisi about twenty years ago. He did this without the fear that many Christians have displayed, because of the confidence of his own faith in the living Christ.
So this evening I join with you in thanksgiving for what John Paul II achieved, and join with you in rejoicing that God has taken him to a place of peace and joy, into the nearer presence of the One whom he knew and served.
May he Rest in Peace and Rise in Glory
Diocesan Communications Officer, Dublin & Glendalough
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Lynn Glanville
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