Pope embodied
courage, love:
United Methodist
leaders

By LINDA BLOOM

NEW YORK - Pope John Paul II is being remembered by United Methodists as one of the great leaders of the Roman Catholic Church.


The 84-year-old pontiff, whose health had taken a serious decline over the past few weeks, died on April 2 at the Vatican in Rome.


Bishop William B. Oden, ecumenical officer of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, said: "John Paul II personified the Roman Catholic Church for more than a quarter-century. He embodied its conflicts, its strengths and weaknesses and its struggles.


"Without a doubt, he will be seen as one of Catholicism's greatest popes -- personable, charismatic and clear about his vision of the church. Still, he left a legacy of many unresolved issues, including women in the priesthood, celibacy and the call for greater lay involvement in decision-making."


Bishop Peter D. Weaver, President of the Council of Bishops, expressed condolences to "our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers" on the loss of the Pope. "He was a courageous witness for Christ and a compassionate brother to the poor and oppressed of this world. We give thanks for his life and ministry among us and the new life he now has in Christ."

Bishop Ann B. Sherer, President of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Inter-religious Concerns, remembered the Pope's commitment to the poor.

"We, as United Methodists, join the whole world in celebrating the way the Pope has sensitised us all to the needs of the poor, the needs of the marginalised, the needs of the suffering," she said. "We join our ecumenical partners around the world in bearing witness to the goodness of God in life and in death."


The Rev Dr Geoffrey Wainwright has been chairman of the dialogue between the World Methodist Council and the Roman Catholic Church since 1986.


He said: "Pope John Paul II's contribution to ecumenism is epitomised in his encyclical letter of 1995, 'Ut Unum Sint' ('That They May Be One'). The most exciting element in that letter was his invitation to leaders of other churches and their theologians to join with him in 'a patient and fraternal dialogue' concerning how the 'ministry of universal unity' traditionally claimed and offered by the (Holy) See of Rome could be exercised in new ways in a new situation."


That topic has been a discussion point in the Methodist-Catholic dialogue since 1986, said the Rev Dr Wainwright, who is the Robert E. Cushman Professor of Christian Theology at United Methodist-related Duke Divinity School.


The Rev George Freeman, General Secretary of the World Methodist Council, had met John Paul II on two occasions and remembered being deeply impressed by the influence the Pope had on so many people.


He noted that while the President of the United States may be the most politically powerful man in the world, the Pope had a different type of influence. "Pope John Paul II has offered leadership to the world for 26 years and represents a different power, one that transcends national identity and self-interest, which represents a kingdom that is eternal and cannot be shaken."


United Methodist Bishop William Boyd Grove, former ecumenical officer of the Council of Bishops, described the Pope as "a mighty force for peace and justice in the world" and said his death was "a loss for all people of faith and goodwill".


"My mind was not always with the Pope's mind -- I disagreed with him about many things," he said. "But my heart was always with him. Who could not be moved by his strength and conviction?"


The Rev R. Randy Day, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, also saluted the Pope as "a powerful champion" of peace and justice. "He was consistent throughout his long papacy in the promotion of non-violent solutions to disputes large and small, and he was unswerving in his opposition to the menace of nuclear weapons."


The Rev Dr Joe Hale, who retired as General Secretary of the World Methodist Council in 2001, a position he held for 25 years, said: "The picture in my mind will always be that of a dynamic person who across his long pontificate reached out with compassion-reflecting goodwill, graciousness and the Good News of God's love.


"I have enormous respect for Pope John Paul II. The impact of his life was extraordinary; he touched areas of universal concern; he felt deeply and was concerned for the welfare of all people and nations. His respect for Christians in traditions other than his own Roman Catholic Church was a gift he left us all." -- United Methodist News Service.

Linda Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.

Pope John Paul II greeting the Rev Dr Joe Hale (right) during a January 2001 worship service in Rome. -- World Methodist Council picture.