THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY McGEEHAN, ADOLPH, BELFANTI, BOBACK, BOYLE, BRENNAN, BROWN, CALTAGIRONE, D. COSTA, CRUZ, DALEY, DeLUCA, DONATUCCI, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GODSHALL, HARHAI, HESS, KILLION, KORTZ, LEVDANSKY, MARKOSEK, McCALL, MELIO, MILLARD, MOUL, PALLONE, PASHINSKI, PHILLIPS, READSHAW, REICHLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY, STEVENSON, SWANGER, VULAKOVICH AND KULA, OCTOBER 2, 2009

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, OCTOBER 2, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Commemorating the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's visit

to the City of Philadelphia on October 3 and 4, 1979.

WHEREAS, Ordained as a priest in 1946, Karol Jozef Wojtyla of

Poland spent years devoted to his scholarly duties, earning a

master's degree and two doctoral degrees in theology and

philosophy; and

WHEREAS, With such a significant reputation, Karol Jozef

Wojtyla was elevated to the position of archbishop at the age of

38; and

WHEREAS, Archbishop Wojtyla was later elected pope on October

21, 1978, taking the name Pope John Paul II in reference to his

predecessors; and

WHEREAS, Pope John Paul II became the first Slavic pope and

the first non-Italian to occupy the papacy in 455 years; and

WHEREAS, Within a year after his election, the 264th pontiff

became the first pope to travel extensively throughout the

United States and the first to visit the City of Philadelphia;

and

WHEREAS, Pope John Paul II visited more than 120 countries

and delivered more than 2,000 public addresses during the span

of his pontificate, making him the most traveled pope in

history; and

WHEREAS, Before an estimated crowd of more than one million,

Pope John Paul II celebrated a public mass in Philadelphia's

Logan Square on October 3, 1979; and

WHEREAS, The Benjamin Franklin Parkway was a sea of people

who gathered to be touched by the spirit of His Holiness; and

WHEREAS, For those brief two days of Pope John Paul II's

visit, an overwhelming sense of goodwill and optimism pervaded

the entire Philadelphia region; and

WHEREAS, Undeniably one of the most significant figures of

our time, Pope John Paul II preached nonviolence in overcoming

oppressive regimes and lent his great moral voice and tireless

efforts to freeing the world of injustice; and

WHEREAS, Pope John Paul II was fluent in ten languages and

possessed a unique passion and ability to bridge political and

religious divides across the globe; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commemorate the

30th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's awe-inspiring visit to

the City of Philadelphia on October 3 and 4, 1979.