Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, John Paul II was a remarkable leader whose intense faith, intellectual brilliance, and sheer physical stamina are beyond dispute. He has been an inspiration to me and to millions of others, and his leadership brought people of all faiths closer together. John Paul II was a beacon of freedom and he gave his voice to those who could not speak, especially to those who were oppressed by the brutality of Communist oppression. In public pronouncements during his visits to Poland and at every possible opportunity, he bore a simple message: truth matters, faith matters, freedom matters and injustice must be condemned and challenged. He encouraged such dissidents as Poland's Lech Walesa and Czechoslovakia's Vaclav Havel to live 'as if' they were free, undermining the elaborate system of lies that the Communist system depended upon to survive. Once pretenses were stripped away, more and more people realized they were not alone. It was Pope John Paul II's courage and decisive action that nurtured Poland's Solidarity movement and served as a catalyst to the peaceful liberation of Poland and the fall of the Iron Curtain.”