Pope John Paul II, Holy Mass in Quotes

A collection of quotes by Pope John Paul II, Holy Mass in .

Pope John Paul II, born Karol JÃ³zef WojtyÅ‚a in 1920, was the head of the Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005. He was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and the first Polish pope in history. Pope John Paul II played a significant role in shaping the modern Catholic Church, emphasizing the importance of interfaith dialogue, human rights, and social justice. His pontificate witnessed numerous travels, where he held Holy Masses, reaching out to millions of people worldwide. He was canonized as a saint in 2014, recognized for his remarkable spiritual leadership and devotion to the faithful.

Pervading materialism imposes its dominion on man today in many different forms and with an aggressiveness that spares no one. The most sacred principles, which were the sure guides for the behaviour of individuals and society, are being hollowed out by false pretences concerning freedom, the sacredness of life, the indissolubility of marriage, the true sense of human sexuality, the right attitude towards the material goods that progress has to offer. Many people now are tempted to self-indulgence and consumerism, and human identity is often defined by what one owns. Prosperity and affluence, even when they are only beginning to be available to larger strata of society, tend to make people assume that they have a right to all that prosperity can bring, and thus they can become more selfish in their demands. Everybody wants a full freedom in all the areas of human behaviour and new models of morality are being proposed in the name of would-be freedom. When the moral fibre of a nation is weakened, when the sense of personal responsibility is diminished, then the door is open for the justification of injustices, for violence in all its forms, and for the manipulation of the many by the few. The challenge that is already with us is the temptation to accept as true freedom what in reality is only a new form of slavery.

Pope John Paul II, Holy Mass in