Pope John Paul II: A "prophet" of our times

By Hesham Hassaballa

On April 2, 2005, Pope John Paul II, born Karol Josef Wojtyla, died after succumbing to complications of a years-long battle with Parkinson's Disease. His death and funeral was perhaps one of the largest media events in our young century, and it was a bit strange for me to witness his death because, for me, John Paul II was the only Pope I ever knew. Yet, watching the millions of people - and scores of kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers - pay their final respects to the late pontiff, I can not help but be reminded of the death of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

More than fifteen centuries ago, our direct connection to the Divine was lost forever. With the Prophet's (pbuh) passing, we lost the world's greatest man, the Last Prophet, the Best of Creation, the Walking Qur'an. With the Prophet (pbuh) gone, we can no longer bask in the light of his wisdom, the warmth of his gentile smile, the comfort of his soothing hands, the serenity of his merciful touch. We can no longer benefit from his leadership; we can no longer feel his calming presence; we can no longer be led by the Chosen One. No, we must fend for ourselves now, and there is hardly a day that goes by during which I yearn for the Prophet to be here with us now, to help guide us through these difficult days for Islam and Muslims.

I speculate that Catholics the world over have a similar feeling with the passing of John Paul II. And when I reflect on the life of the late Pope, I am struck by how often he took a prophetic stance on many important issues. He very much was a "prophet" of our times, a time that will see no more Prophets until the return of Christ before the end of days. In fact, had the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) been alive, I believe he would have worked closely with the Pope on many an issue.

Now, now, before you throw your label of "apostate" on me, let me make something absolutely clear: I do not believe John Paul II was a Prophet. There are no Prophets after the Last Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Furthermore, John Paul II publicly affirmed the belief in the divinity of Christ and the Triune nature of God, things which Islam considers to be blasphemous beliefs. Yet, I am laying aside his personal beliefs and focusing on the actions of his more than two-decade papacy. Even though John Paul II was not a Prophet, his stance - nonetheless - many times was prophetic.

He was a staunch defender of justice, and he fought injustice wherever he could. He is credited with helping bring down the Berlin Wall and with it Communism in Europe. In fact, the Soviet Union was so afraid of the Polish pontiff that many feel it attempted to have him killed by sending Mehmet Ali Agca to try to assassinate the Pope in Rome. He was an undying advocate for the poor, helpless, and disenfranchised throughout the world, be they in Europe, Latin America, Africa, or Asia. He was always on the side of social justice and human rights, and he worked hard to convince wealthy nations to forgive the debts of poor countries. Even though his influence helped Western-style free market economics dominate, he was not afraid to criticize Western materialism. In fact, he always had the courage to speak his mind, never caring about political expediency or the unpopularity of his message.

He made enormous strides in interfaith and ecumenical dialogue. He was the first Pope to visit a synagogue in 1986, Lutheran church in 1983, and mosque in 2001. He reached out in dialogue to non-Catholic Christians, Jews, and Muslims. He was the first pope since the Reformation to pray with Lutheran bishops in service in St. Peter's Basilica in 1991. He signed a Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification with Lutheran representatives in Augsburg, Germany in 1999, and he opened the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls with the Archbishop of Canterbury and an Orthodox representative in 2000. In a gesture not soon forgotten, he personally prayed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem and placed a prayer for forgiveness for the Church's actions toward Jews in one of the Wall's crevices. He also lead three interfaith pilgrimages to Assisi, the latest after the attacks of September 11.

Pope John Paul II played a very active role in the Second Vatican Council of 1962-1965, and out of that council - dubbed Vatican II - came the document Nostra Aetate, which declared:

"The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all- powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God. Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere Him as a prophet. They also honor Mary, His virgin Mother; at times they even call on her with devotion. In addition, they await the day of judgment when God will render their deserts to all those who have been raised up from the dead. Finally, they value the moral life and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting.

Since in the course of centuries not a few quarrels and hostilities have arisen between Christians and Moslems, this sacred synod urges all to forget the past and to work sincerely for mutual understanding and to preserve as well as to promote together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom."

Furthermore, in his 1994 book Crossing the Threshold of Hope, the Pope wrote:"the image of believers in Allah who, without caring about time or place, fall to their knees and immerse themselves in prayer remains a model for all those who invoke the true God." In the arena of interfaith relations and dialogue, this Pope did what few before him ever came close to doing, and he was a far cry from Pope Urban II who said, speaking at the Council of Clermont in 1095: "On this account I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ's heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race [the Muslims] from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it."

In addition to all this, the Pope was a staunch advocate against armed conflict. In 1984, he successfully mediated the Beagle Channel dispute between Argentina and Chile. He wrote letters to Presidents George Bush the Elder and Saddam Hussein in an effort to deter the first Gulf War, he received Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz as part of his effort to avert the second Gulf War. When that failed, he did not shy away from sharply criticizing the pre-emptive attack by President Bush the Younger.

Should he be called John Paul the Great? Should he be made a saint? Was his papacy the greatest ever? These are not things on which I can comment. Yes, he did openly profess beliefs about Jesus Christ which I do not accept, but I refuse to be hung up by something like this. He did so much good throughout his papacy, and it would be wrong for me, as a Muslim, not to acknowledge this. With the death of John Paul II, the world has lost a truly amazing man.

Once, during the ministry of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), a funeral procession for a Jewish person passed by. He stood up in respect, and when questioned why by his companions, he told them: "Was he not a human being?" Pope John Paul II was not just any human being. He was an outstanding man, fully deserving of our honor, dignity, and enormous respect. Thus, it is only proper that I "stand up" for the Pope as well. As I could not be there for (or stay awake to watch) his funeral ceremony in Rome, let this article, therefore, be my "standing up" for Pope John Paul II as he passes from this life to the next. The world has lost a truly amazing man.

Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician currently practicing in the greater Chicago area. He has written extensively on a freelance basis, and his commentaries have been published in BeliefNet, the Chicago Tribune as well as other media around the country and around the world. He is the co-author of the forthcoming book, The Beliefnet Guide to Islam, to be pubished by Doubleday. In addition to writing, Dr. Hassaballa helped found the Chicago chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and is co-chair of the Media Relations Committee of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. Make sure to visit Hesham;s blog at hassaballa.org.