Sean Reyes: “I rise in support of awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Pope John Paul II. It is difficult to talk briefly about a…”

“I rise in support of awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Pope John Paul II. It is difficult to talk briefly about a man who has done so much since being elected to succeed Pope John Paul I in 1978. So, let me make these few comments. Pope John Paul II has worked tirelessly to unite the people of different countries and different religions, regardless of their color or their politics. He did this as a youth, as a professor at Catholic University of Lublin, as the Archbishop of Krakow and continues to do so as the head of the Roman Catholic Church. He is said to be the most recognized man in the world. In fact he was named 'Man of the Year' in Time magazine in 1994. But, that is not why I stand before you. I stand before you because this man has dedicated his life to the salvation of others. I still remember when he was chosen by the College of Cardinals. There was a great deal of discussion about him, not because he was selected to become the Pope, but rather because he was the first non Italian Pope since 1522 and because he was only 58 years old. Now, twenty-two years later, neither his birth place nor his age are part of the discussion. I think that there is a lesson for all of us in that fact. I support this award because Pope John Paul II has reached out to the people of this planet. He encourages fraternity and encourages people to live the gospel. And, in the final analysis, he has made the world a better place for us to live.”