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Issue Date: December 18, 2005
Touched by the Pope
This season inspires reflection among all faiths. In that spirit, we ask people who met John Paul II before he passed away this year to share their moving stories.
Cokie Roberts & Steven V. Roberts
It was a clear, bright morning as we drove into the hills above Rome in July 1998. Cokie'smother, Lindy Boggs, the American ambassador to the Vatican, arranged for us to attend a private Mass celebrated by the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. Lindy considered the pope a good friend, as did Cokie. But Steve, a Jewish boy from New Jersey, was in strange territory, like a Yankee fan in Fenway Park: He knew and loved the game but rooted for a different team. We entered a small chapel. The morning light poured through an open window. There, dressed in simple white vestments, the Holy Father knelt in prayer.
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We shared an experience cherished by so many. Before his death this year at age 84, Pope John Paul II greeted millions through his Masses, speeches and private audiences. During his nearly 27 years as the supreme pontiff, his gentle presence moved Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Fluent in eight languages, he often spoke directly to his audience. But his kindness masked the soul of a resistance fighter who had confronted both Nazism and Communism -- not to mention poverty, oppression and, on May 13, 1981, an assassin's bullet. That he met with his attacker and offered forgiveness continues to inspire people to this day.
As we took our seats in the chapel, we knew we were in the presence of a pure spiritual power that transcended doctrine. At that moment, John Paul was not just the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. He was a humble, holy man whose grace touched us both -- a Catholic woman from the South and a Jewish man from the North.
Many others, regardless of social class, ethnic origin or religious belief, tell of similar encounters with Pope John Paul II. They remain moved by this remarkable man. Here are some of their stories:
Journalists Cokie and Steve Roberts are longtime USA WEEKEND contributing editors.
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Tom Brady, 28, quarterback for the New England Patriots, met Pope John Paul II last year at the Vatican.
I went to Catholic high school, so my faith was always important. The pope was someone we talked about in elementary school, in high school and through college. To have the opportunity to meet him was a very profound experience. I remember walking away feeling a sense of peace, that I had met one of the leaders of the free world. Obviously there were a lot of great things he accomplished, and I think everyone misses him dearly.
"I remember walking away feeling a sense of peace ... I think everyone misses him dearly."
--Tom Brady
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Lorena Vega, 32, a married mother of four from Los Angeles, met the pope in 1987 as a 14-year-old eighth-grader at the city's Immaculate Conception School.
I was very excited to meet an important person. My dad said I should be very proud because the pope represents Jesus Christ on Earth. I was in complete awe that day. The pope seemed very warm, paternal. It was like I was sitting with my grandfather. There was a feeling of love; that was the vibe I felt. I hugged him before he left, and I was crying. It was the feeling that you get when your grandfather leaves and you don't want him to go.
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Tim Russert, 55, host of NBC's "Meet the Press," was 35 when he met the pope.
As a father and Catholic layman, I had an extraordinary personal experience with Pope John Paul II. In 1986, my family traveled to the Vatican, where the pope blessed my wife, Maureen [Orth], then me, and then gave his undivided attention to our baby, Luke. The pope hugged him, then kissed his forehead, saying all the while, "very nice, very nice," smiling broadly. That blessing will be with us forever. As a young altar boy in Buffalo, N.Y., I had never dreamt I would meet a pope, much less have my son blessed by someone as saintly as Pope John Paul II.
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Rabbi Abie Ingber, 55, of Cincinnati, met the pope on several occasions, most recently in October 2004.
In the late 1990s, John Paul II was doing a lot of outreach to the Jewish community. We wanted to thank the pope for what he was doing. On Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom Hashoah, I traveled with a delegation of Jews to the Vatican and held an observance. We installed a Holocaust-themed menorah at the Vatican. The next morning, we presented a replica to the Holy Father. I had an opportunity to approach the pope as part of the delegation and hold his hand. There was an electricity that came from him to me and was reciprocated back to him. I never forgot that bolt of energy. It is not important that I met the pope but that I met this pope, who brought communities together -- who brought Jews, Catholics, Christians together like no one had done before. The menorah stills stands; in fact, my daughter saw it while on vacation in Italy.
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Henry Cisneros, 58, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Clinton, was mayor of San Antonio when he met the pope.
In June 1987, my only son was born. We had debated what to name him. Just as we were going into the delivery room, we thought, "Who is the very best man we could think of? A role model for his life?" We concluded that this would be John Paul II. After our son was born, we learned that he had a severe heart defect. We were told we'd lose him early. Then, the following September, the pope made a visit to our city. Organizers set up a private room for us to visit him so the pope could bless his namesake. He had such an aura of gentleness. He appeared like a shepherd to us. My wife was overwhelmed. She broke into tears. My two daughters knew immediately they were in the presence of a great, spiritual man. He blessed my son in Latin. He comforted my wife, urging her to be strong. "God loves you and loves this baby," he said.
The next month, we went to a specialist in Philadelphia who told us he could fix this problem. Our son had surgery at age 6 and another one at 11. He's now 17. He's an excellent student and wants to be a doctor. Thank God the pope came and lived here on Earth, and that our son has his name.
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Tony Melendez, 43, of Los Angeles, is a guitarist who has no arms. He performed before the pope in 1987.
I performed a song titled "Never Be the Same," and the pope jumped into the audience -- just jumped! -- held his arms out and kissed me. I felt like Jell-O, my body trembling from the emotion of it all. He said, "My wish for you, Tony, is to keep giving hope to all the people." Since, I have been on and off the road, month by month, 10 venues, 20 to 25 days per month. His blessings continue through my singing.
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The Rev. Marek B. Bozek, 31, a Catholic priest in Springfield, Mo., grew up in Communist Poland and met the pope several times, most recently on Jan. 6.
I was 9 years old when I saw and heard John Paul II in person, during a visit to Poland. I was a small child, excitedly following with my eyes the tiny white figure on a distant stage, hearing words that were officially forbidden. The crowd was chanting "Solidarity," right after "Long live the pope." With every fiber of my being, I somehow knew I was a part of something bigger, and everybody around me realized as well that with this man in white, we are a force that nothing can stop.
In early June of 1991, after the Solidarity movement was victorious, I met the pope for the first time face-to-face when I was 17. He visited my hometown. I was an altar boy during the papal Mass. He spoke about the link between freedom and truthfulness. He encouraged us to remain true to our faith. I knew then, to be a truly free person, I had to serve others as a priest.
A few years later, already as a seminarian preparing for the priesthood, I visited Rome in July 1995. Our group was invited then to join the Holy Father. As he was greeting each one of us, he exchanged a few words with each seminarian. I told him I was from the town of Olsztyn, and he said, "Oh, I was there just four years ago!" I answered, "Yes, Holy Father, and this is why I am here today as a seminarian."
Reported by Dennis McCafferty, with contributions from Andrea Cowsert and Mike Reiss.
Cover illustration by Casey Shaw for USA WEEKEND
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