On the recordApril 6, 2005
He became Pope in 1979, when I was a teenager. In a quiet Catholic community, one that was quietly prayerful, quietly service-oriented, but quietly, he inspired us not to be so quiet. He inspired us to change that quiet prayer into exuberant song. He inspired us to get involved, to step out of the churches, step out of our own communities, and give more direct service, become more directly involved with those afflicted with illness, with those afflicted in poverty, with those with other problems, emotional concerns, and active the Church became. I could not even describe the difference in the church I grew up in in Pittsburgh from 1979 to today, inspired by Pope John Paul II. Young people, everyone mentions that the Pope has a very close connection with young people. World Youth Days around the world were so widely attended from children around the world that it gives me great hope for the future of the world.
Source
govinfo.gov
