Saint John Paul II and Conservatism

On Sunday, Rome was flooded with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who flocked to the Vatican to view the canonization of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII.  Conservatives often point to JPII as a bulwark of the West, an advocate for truth in the modern world.  His contribution was monumental, aiding greatly to the fall of communism and the cause of life.

William Dinor Jr, of First Things, writes of how America perceived and benefited from this great man’s legacy.  He speaks of the Saint’s ability to speak truth in love, to unite the faithful, and to strike decisively against ills of contemporary society.

John Paul II left behind a rich spiritual and intellectual infrastructure for Americans to draw upon, to deal with these ongoing challenges. If his teachings are heeded, John Paul’s sainthood will not only be a blessing for the Church, but a renewed American republic as well.

Regardless of one’s religious tradition, John Paul II offered a path for conservatism in the modern world, a viable means to promoting human flourishing in every community.