IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 190 

Honoring the life and achievements of His Holiness Pope John Paul II 

and expressing profound sorrow on his death. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 6, 2005 

Mr. HYDE submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life and achievements of His Holiness Pope 

John Paul II and expressing profound sorrow on his death. 

Whereas His Holiness Pope John Paul II was born Karol 

Jozef Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland, on May 18, 1920, 

and on October 16, 1978, was elected the 264th Pope of 

the Catholic Church, making history by becoming the 

first Pope from Poland and the first non-Italian Pope in 

more than 400 years; 

Whereas Pope John Paul II dedicated his long life to the 

peace and well-being of mankind; 

Whereas Pope John Paul II risked his own life by defying the 

Nazi forces which occupied Poland during World War II 

and protecting its Jewish population, while trying to inspire faith in the oppressed; 

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•HRES 190 ATH 

Whereas Pope John Paul II returned to his native Poland in 

June 1979, unleashing a patriotic and religious force that 

would ultimately lead to the peaceful toppling of the 

Communist regime in Poland; 

Whereas Pope John Paul II was a unique, substantial, and 

historic catalyst in the demise of Soviet communism and 

the emancipation of hundreds of millions of people from 

totalitarian rule; 

Whereas Pope John Paul II used public and private diplomacy and the power of moral suasion to encourage world 

leaders to respect the inalienable rights of the human 

person; 

Whereas Pope John Paul II articulated the importance of individual liberty being undergirded by a ‘‘moral order’’, 

embraced the poor and oppressed masses of the world, 

and encouraged governments and the faithful to attend 

to the needs of those who are less fortunate; 

Whereas Pope John Paul II ministered to Catholic and nonCatholic alike, providing a personal example of grace, endurance, compassion, courage, sacrifice, and foresight; 

Whereas Pope John Paul II was an articulate and outspoken 

advocate for religious freedom and Christian humanism, 

asserting that the Catholic Church could not claim religious liberty for itself unless it was willing to concede it 

to others; 

Whereas Pope John Paul II sought to heal divisions between 

the Catholic Church and other Christian faiths, expressing sadness and regret for the acts of individual past and 

present Catholics who persecuted others on account of 

their faith, and promoting reconciliation through dialogue 

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with Jews and Muslims and through visits to areas of 

historic conflict, including Ireland and the Holy Land; 

Whereas Pope John Paul II traveled more extensively than 

any other Pope, traversing nearly three-quarters of a million miles, visiting more than 125 countries, being seen 

by more people than any person in human history, and 

ministering to more than six million people at once in the 

closing mass of World Youth Day 1995 in the Philippines; 

Whereas on January 8, 2001, the Speaker of the House of 

Representatives, J. Dennis Hastert, presented Pope John 

Paul II with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest 

award that Congress can bestow upon any individual; 

Whereas in November 2003 the House of Representatives 

and the Senate unanimously agreed to House Concurrent 

Resolution 313, which called upon the President, on behalf of the United States, to present the Presidential 

Medal of Freedom to Pope John Paul II; 

Whereas on June 4, 2004, President George W. Bush traveled to the Vatican and presented Pope John Paul II 

with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States Government; 

Whereas, even as Pope John Paul II struggled to regain his 

physical strength after suffering failings in his physical 

condition in early 2005, he continued to minister to the 

faithful, while suffering with grace and in silence; and 

Whereas up until the moment of his death on April 2, 2005, 

Pope John Paul II remained faithful and principled, inspiring a continuing defense of the unique dignity of 

every human life: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

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1 (1) has learned with profound sorrow of the 

2 death of His Holiness Pope John Paul II; 

3 (2) expresses gratitude for the life of Pope 

4 John Paul II and the innumerable blessings mani5 fested through his service; 

6 (3) commends the life’s work of Pope John 

7 Paul II, recognizing his enduring and historic con8 tributions to the causes of freedom, human dignity, 

9 and peace in the world; 

10 (4) expresses condolences to the people of Po11 land for the loss of such an inspirational figure in 

12 Poland’s transformation from a totalitarian regime 

13 to democratic government; 

14 (5) extends its heartfelt sympathy to the more 

15 than one billion Catholics around the world, includ16 ing more than sixty-six million Catholics in the 

17 United States, who looked to Pope John Paul II as 

18 Supreme Pontiff; and 

19 (6) calls upon the people of the United States 

20 to reflect on the life of Pope John Paul II during 

21 the worldwide period of remembrance following his 

22 death. 

23 SEC. 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives 

24 shall transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the 

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1 Secretary of State with a request that the Secretary trans2 mit it to the Papal Secretary of State at the Vatican. 

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