St. John Paul II – A Bridge Builder of Faith, Hope, and Peace

Every era produces its own prophets, voices of moral conscience who go the extra mile to share the hope they carry in their hearts. Pope St. John Paul II was one such prophetic figure, guiding the Church through times of immense global challenge.

His mission was clear: to build bridges with others across cultures, religions, and ideologies. A powerful example of this was in 1986, when he invited leaders of various faiths to Assisi to pray for peace, a gesture that reflected his deep commitment to dialogue.

Throughout his papacy, John Paul II travelled to countries both great and small, free and oppressed, bringing a message of hope and courage. “Do not be afraid,” he urged. His 1988 visit to South Africa during apartheid, en route to the beatification of Blessed Joseph Gerard in Lesotho, sent a powerful signal to the suffering: you are not forgotten.

He was a missionary pope, founding World Youth Day in 1985 to connect with young people, reminding them that Christianity is not an opinion, but a relationship with the living Christ. Even in his final years, as he battled advanced Parkinson and trembled visibly, he remained a familiar and magnetic presence in Rome, his authenticity drawing many to the Church.

John Paul II’s forgiveness of his would-be assassin in 1982 revealed a heart shaped by mercy. His Marian devotion, expressed in Totus Tuus, and the introduction of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, enriched the Church’s spiritual life.

As we mark his feast on October 22, we are called as Oblates and missionaries to follow his example: to listen, to serve, and to build bridges of love and justice. During this month of the Rosary, let us invoke his intercession and pray for a world healed by compassion, dialogue, and peace.

By Kapena SHIMBOME, OMI
General Councillor, Africa-Madagascar

Published on the OMI World website