Cardinal Jozef Tomko, Papal envoy to the 48th International Eucharistic Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, said Pope John Paul II is “an example of how the highest moral authority of the world works, despite his pain, for the good of humanity.”

After emphasizing that “the successor of the Pope and his permanence at the helm of the Vatican are in the hands of God,” the Cardinal called the Pope’s attitude “admirable” as he continues working despite his deteriorating health.

Cardinal Tomko added that as the leader for 26 years of more than a billion Catholics around the world, John Paul’s Pontificate is “unique in history, compelling and intense, and we can summarize it by simply saying magnificent.”