Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: “last week I was blessed to travel with a group of my colleagues to Rome to attend the funeral mass of his Holiness, Pope…”

“last week I was blessed to travel with a group of my colleagues to Rome to attend the funeral mass of his Holiness, Pope John Paul II, one of the greatest defenders of human life the world has ever known. {time} 1945 Pope John Paul II was a man of profound holiness, profound peace, and profound love. He not only served the Catholic Church as the Vicar of Christ on Earth, but also reached out and touched people of all faiths as he fought valiantly to liberate the oppressed, especially in his native Eastern Europe where he contributed significantly to the fall of communism. Of all of his accomplishments, I am most appreciative of his unwavering commitments to the defense and protection of all human life, especially the most defenseless, the unborn. The Pope came to Miami in September of 1987. I had just given birth to my youngest daughter, Patricia Marie, and so I wanted to be present to hear and see him at Tropical Park, which is located in my old State senate district, but the doctors told me I could not attend. However, as I watched on TV, I remember thinking how fitting it was that I would be holding my newborn baby in my arms while watching the staunchest defender of human life praying and saying mass in my hometown. It was a feeling I have never and I shall never forget.…”