H. Res. 190

In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

April 6, 2005.

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;

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
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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

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
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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

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) has learned with profound sorrow of the death

of His Holiness Pope John Paul II;

(2) expresses gratitude for the life of Pope John

Paul II and the innumerable blessings manifested

through his service;

(3) commends the life’s work of Pope John Paul II,

recognizing his enduring and historic contributions to

the causes of freedom, human dignity, and peace in the

world;
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(4) expresses condolences to the people of Poland

for the loss of such an inspirational figure in Poland’s

transformation from a totalitarian regime to democratic

government;

(5) extends its heartfelt sympathy to the more than

one billion Catholics around the world, including more

than sixty-six million Catholics in the United States, who

looked to Pope John Paul II as Supreme Pontiff; and

(6) calls upon the people of the United States to reflect on the life of Pope John Paul II during the worldwide period of remembrance following his death.

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

transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the Secretary

of State with a request that the Secretary transmit it to the

Papal Secretary of State at the Vatican.

Attest:

Clerk.