Pope John Paul brought dignity to all who suffer, supreme knight says
(February 11, 2010) Pope John Paul II's humility and willingness to let the whole
world watch his declining health gave dignity and meaning to suffering, said Carl
Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus. "Pope John Paul II suffered boldly
before millions," Anderson said at a Vatican conference on health care February 9.
"He was willing to have the humility to do this before the world. "Through this,
Pope John Paul showed exactly what human dignity is all about," he said. Anderson,
leader of the worldwide Catholic fraternal organization, was one of the keynote speakers
at the meeting sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers. The February
9-11 gathering, titled "The Church in the Service of Love for the Suffering," marked
the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II establishing the council. Anderson said
Pope John Paul had preached the Gospel and evangelized "with every gift God had given
him," including his acting and singing talents, his athletic abilities and his writing.
"And as life went on, we saw him communicate the Gospel using what he also called
'a gift,' that is we saw him use his own suffering," Anderson said. The late pope,
who died April 2, 2005, was able to show that Christ is united with those who are
suffering, because he himself suffered on the cross. Without his long pontificate
and suffering, Anderson said, "we would not have seen his many faces of humility,
holiness, dedication." He added, "Just as a resurrected Christ would have been less
marvellous without his suffering, so Pope John Paul's holiness achieved greater depth
because it preached not only the Gospel of love, but the Gospel of suffering whole
heartedly."