When we consider that Pope John Paul II served as Pope from 1978 to 20025, one of the longest pontificates in the history of the Church, we can think of the influence he has had on the Church and the Catholic faithful. He made a profound impact on the Church and on the world. And his contributions as pope continue to have an impact on the Church and the world today.
One of the first popes who was not from Italy for many centuries, he made an impact on the world in helping to bring an end to communism in his native country of Poland and in many other countries in Europe.
In the life of the Church, he promulgated a new Catechism, providing a new authoritative summary of Catholic doctrine for the Catholic faithful. He also oversaw the reform of Canon Law. He issued many influential documents during his papacy, including 14 encyclicals and 15 apostolic exhortations. He also wrote the influential theology of the body, which addressed the topic of human love, sexuality, and the dignity of the human body. He advocacy for the pro-life movement also made a big impact in the United States and in other countries in the world.
In the realm of spirituality, he popularized the spirituality of St Therese, whom he named a doctor of the Church. He also popularized his personal devotions to the Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Fatima. He beatified and canonized numerous saints, more than many of his predecessors combined. He also established World Youth Day in 1985. His travels to many countries helped revitalize the Catholic faith throughout the world.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes how he is a prisoner of the Lord. Paul indeed was imprisoned in Rome at the time that he wrote this letter. Even though he was behind bars, he was able to exhort the Ephesians to be patient, gentle, and humble. I tell the prisoners whom I visit and minister to in the state prison here in Central Mississippi that there are far worst prisons that can confine them in their lives than the bars that they are behind right now at the state prison. We can be imprisoned by different forms of addiction. We can be imprisoned by false expectations and a false sense of values, by clinging the to values of the secular world and our worldly appetites that never seem to be satisfied. We can be imprisoned by our past, by not being able to let go and forgive. St Paul calls us to the one Body, the one Spirit, the one faith. Through our faith and through our membership in the Body of Christ, we can break free from all that imprisons us.
As we celebrate Mass today right before the beginning of our ACTS retreat, I am thankful for all the hard word and dedication of you ladies in starting the ACTS retreat here in Central Mississippi. I know that a lot of you have made a lot of sacrifices in our busy daily lives in order to commit to ACTS. For years, the men and women of Vicksburg who had gone on the ACTS retreat had approached the Diocese and had approached their parish priests and there was no answer and no support as to beginning the ACTS program. We tried to get it started in the Jackson area, and then the pandemic hit, derailing those plans. Thankfully, through prayers and hard work and perseverance, that dream of starting the ACTS retreat in Central Mississippi is now a reality. I am thankful for the women of the Diocese of Alexandria and of the Diocese of Jackson who have made all of this possible. We unite our prayers with the prayers of Pope John Paul II and St Paul, two great evangelizers, as we start our ACTS retreat today.
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