Bishops: Pope John Paul II a 'defender of the unborn'

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales expressed joy at the upcoming beatification of Pope John Paul II on Sunday, calling him a “holy man," a "lover of life," and a "defender of the unborn." “There’s no doubt about that because he loves life. That’s the teaching of Jesus, and that is the position of the Church," Rosales said in an article posted on Thursday afternoon on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news site. “He is a shepherd at the time when [the] Church is being attack. He was the man who did not allow them. He should be beatified. There were signs of that giftedness," he said. “He is a gift not only for the Church but for to the whole world. So let’s thank God for the giftedness of the life of this man," he added. Rosales said the late Pope, who visited the Philippines in 1981 and 1995, embraced the idea that nobody has the right to eliminate an innocent person. The prelate said by beatifying John Paul II, the Church is inspiring people to embrace and defend life too. Meanwhile, CBCP Commission on Family and Life executive secretary Fr. Melvin Castro cited the late Pope for defending and promoting the "culture of life." “The Coalition for Family and Life and the entire Church in the country find great consolation that the Pope who so defended and promoted the culture of life would be raised to the altar," he said. “Just [as] he never based his preachings on popular acceptance, neither [should] we rely our advocacy to defend family and life on what is convenient and comfortable for our people to hear," he added. The Catholic Church had been vocal against the Reproductive Health (RH) and the Responsible Parenthood (RP) bills for their provisions allowing artificial contraception. The Catholic Church promotes only natural methods of family planning. Memories of late Pope With just two days to go before the beatification of the late Pope John Paul II, Philippine Catholic bishops shared fond memories of him - from his charisma to his role in inter-religious dialogue. Caceres Archbishop Leonardo Legazpi said he has talked with the Pope several times, and had breakfast and lunch with him. “He was very paternalistic in my regard and very charismatic," Legazpi said in an article posted on the CBCP news site. Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma said Pope John Paul II was a pioneer in inter-religious dialogue when he began the worldwide prayer for peace during the feast of St. Francis of Assisi in 1986. Lipa (Batangas) Archbishop Ramon Arguelles described the late pontiff as “a great prophet" who has a special place in his heart. “The third millennium is the hour of Asia as the Good News will return to where it all started," Arguelles said. Retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz Pope John Paul II in his book as “a saint long since." Isabela (Basilan) Bishop Martin Jumoad recalled meeting the late pontiff in September 2002 when new bishops from all over the world had an audience at the Vatican. “During the picture taking, I touched his shoulder and he just looked at me and smiled," he said. He added that experience was “heaven" for him. He vividly remembers the pontiff as very accommodating and had a good listening skill." Virac Bishop Manolo delos Santos said the most remarkable asset of Pope John Paul II was his charisma even among non-Catholics. He also praised the deceased pontiff for his genuine concern for the young. - VVP, GMA News