Apr 3, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Pope John Paul II was, and always will be, “a role model for the world,” said Catholic League president William Donohue in a statement released one day after the Pope’s death.
The Pope, said Donohue, will be remembered for many things, one of which is his signature statement, “Be not afraid.”
John Paul II made this statement in his first homily as Pope in 1978 and repeated it thousands of times during his papacy, Donohue pointed out. It was a phrase he often repeated to his audiences with young people as well.
“Consider what happened after he told millions of his fellow countrymen in Poland one year later, ‘Do not be afraid to tell the truth,’” Donohue continued.