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 in-
spire 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 diplo-
macy and the power of moral suasion to encourage world
•HRES 190 EH
leaders to respect the inalienable rights of the human
person;
Whereas Pope John Paul II articulated the importance of in-
dividual 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 non-
Catholic alike, providing a personal example of grace, en-
durance, 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 reli-
gious 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, express-
ing 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 mil-
lion 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 Phil-
ippines;
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 be-
half 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 trav-
eled to the Vatican and presented Pope John Paul II
with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civil-
ian 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, in-
spiring 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;