Catholic All Week

St. John Paul II – whose feast day was Oct. 22 – was the second-longest-serving pope in modern history at 27 years, and he was the first non-Italian pontiff since the Dutch Pope Adrian VI in 1523. The far-reaching influence of this pope, who died on Apr. 2, 2005, is still being felt today. Here are a few things you might not know about him.

Led fight against communism

Pope John Paul II’s influence on the political landscape was enormous. Just days before President Ronald Reagan called on Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down” the Berlin Wall in 1987, Reagan met with the pope. According to historian and author Paul Kengor, Reagan went so far as to call Pope John Paul II his “best friend,” opining that no one knew his soul better than the Polish pontiff, who had also suffered an assassination attempt and carried the burden of world leadership. In the course of 38 official visits and 738 audiences and meetings held with heads of state, John Paul II influenced civic leaders around the world in an epic battle with a Communist regime in the Soviet Union that would ultimately be responsible for the deaths of more than 30 million people. “He thought of himself as the universal pastor of the Catholic Church, dealing with sovereign political actors who were as subject to the universal moral law as anybody else,” biographer George Weigel said.

Revolutionized papal travel

John Paul II visited 129 countries during his pontificate – more countries than any other pope up to that point. “This was the successor of Peter, on pilgrimage to various parts of the world, of the Church,” Weigel said. “And that’s why these pilgrimages were always built around liturgical events, prayer, adoration of the Holy Eucharist, ecumenical and interreligious gatherings – all of this was part of a pilgrimage experience.” In the latter half of the 20th century – a time of enormous social upheaval – John Paul II’s extensive travels and proclamation of the Gospel to the ends of the earth were just what the world needed, Weigel said. John Paul II’s legendary evangelical fervor took fire in Africa, where he spread Catholicism to new levels.

Contributed to church teaching

John Paul II was a scholar who promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1992, reformed the Eastern and Western Codes of Canon Law during his pontificate, and authored 14 encyclicals, 15 apostolic exhortations, 11 apostolic constitutions and 45 apostolic letters. This is why Weigel said the Church has only begun to unpack what he calls the “magisterium” of John Paul II, in the form of his writings and his intellectual influence.

Catholic All Week

October is known as the Month of the Holy Rosary because the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary falls on Oct. 7. Pope Leo started the month by praying the rosary with hundreds of children and their families at the Lourdes grotto in the Vatican Gardens. During his Angelus address in Lourdes a few days earlier, Pope Leo shared a prayer request: “I invite all the faithful and all Christian communities to pray the holy rosary throughout the coming month of October, with the particular intention that wars may cease and that peace may be established among peoples in conflict,” he said.

A month of history

The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, also celebrated as Our Lady of Victory or Victories, was established by Pope St. Pius V in 1571 to celebrate the miraculous victory of the Christian forces over the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Lepanto on Oct. 7. Previous to the decisive naval battle, St. Pius V had requested all western Christians to pray the rosary; thus he attributed the victory to the power of the Marian prayer rather than the power of ships and cannons.

Scriptural roots

The rosary is a Scripture-based prayer. It begins with the Apostles’ Creed, which summarizes the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Our Father, which introduces each mystery, is from the Gospels. The first part of the Hail Mary is the angel’s words announcing Christ’s birth and Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary. The mysteries of the rosary center on the events of Christ’s life. There are four sets of mysteries: joyful, sorrowful, glorious and the luminous, which were added by St. John Paul II in 2002. Look online for details about each and a breakdown of how to pray the rosary.

Variations on a theme

Did you know there are other rosaries? Since the early days of the Church, religious orders have built on and modified this beautiful prayer to emphasize different devotions. Among them are the World Mission Rosary created by Blessed Fulton Sheen to encourage Catholics to pray for the mission work of the Church around the world. Other variations that use different prayers or numbers of prayers include the Seven Sorrows rosary, which honors the Blessed Mother’s sorrows, the Seraphic rosary, which honors her seven joys, and the Brigittine Crown, which adds a sixth mystery honoring Our Lady as Queen of the Carmelite Order.

What made St. Francis abandon wealth for a life centered on the Eucharist

Catholic All Week

Every October, the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, and the first Sunday of the month (Oct. 4 this year) is designated as Respect Life Sunday. This year’s theme is “Mary, Mother of Life” and is centered on Mary’s role as mother of all the living. Her life can teach us to respect the gift of life in all its stages – even when it is unexpected or requires us to make sacrifices. Here are three things that people can do during Respect Life month to embrace that calling.

Reflect on the theme

Look for opportunities to incorporate Marian devotions, catechesis and reflections on human dignity in your prayer life to help reinforce the message that every person is created in the image and likeness of God and deserves love, protection and care.

Support moms in need

Start a project at your parish to accompany mothers who are in need of assistance or who may need encouragement as they choose life and then begin the work of parenting their children. If such a project already exists at your parish – through Walking with Moms in Need or other groups – become an active part of it. Here's St. Matthew and St. Mark.