Dianne Feinstein: “On Saturday evening the world lost a voice for peace, justice, and human dignity. Born in Poland in 1920, Pope John Paul…”

“On Saturday evening the world lost a voice for peace, justice, and human dignity. Born in Poland in 1920, Pope John Paul II grew up in the aftermath of World War I. As a young man, he witnessed the injustice of the Nazi occupation of his country, lived amid the horrendous crimes of the Holocaust, and survived decades of repression behind the Iron Curtain. Out of those experiences, he developed a hopeful view of the world that defined his 26 years as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, and he shared that vision with Catholics and non-Catholics worldwide. As the first non-Italian Pope since 1523, Pope John Paul II was a truly groundbreaking figure. He redefined the papacy, coming out from behind the walls of the Vatican to travel to 129 countries and literally reach out to people wherever he went. Through his travel--more than any other Pope--he helped rejuvenate and expand Catholicism to areas far beyond its roots. During his 26 years as Pope, the Catholic Church grew from 750 million people to over 1 billion, with most of that growth coming from the third world. For those in developing countries who struggled merely to survive, the Pope was a strong advocate for economic justice. And for those who lived under repression, he was a powerful voice for freedom. His 1979 visit to his native Poland is viewed as the spark that ignited the labor movement which toppled communism in Poland and led to its demise throughout Eastern Europe a decade later.”