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S. 705
STATUS INFORMATION
Concurrent Resolution
Sponsors: Senators Sheheen, Ryberg, Alexander, Anderson, Bryant, Campsen, Cleary, Courson, Cromer, Drummond, Elliott, Fair, Ford, Gregory, Grooms, Hawkins, Hayes, Hutto, Jackson, Knotts, Land, Leatherman, Leventis, Lourie, Malloy, Martin, Matthews, McConnell, McGill, Mescher, Moore, O'Dell, Patterson, Peeler, Pinckney, Rankin, Reese, Richardson, Ritchie, Scott, Setzler, Short, J. Verne Smith, Thomas, Verdin and Williams
Document Path: l:\council\bills\dka\3315dw05.doc
Introduced in the Senate on April 5, 2005
Introduced in the House on April 6, 2005
Adopted by the General Assembly on April 6, 2005
Summary: Pope John Paul II
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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4/5/2005 Senate Introduced, adopted, sent to House SJ-10
4/6/2005 House Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence HJ-9
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
TO EXPRESS THE PROFOUND SORROW OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY UPON THE DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL II, TO PRAISE HIS LIFETIME OF LEADERSHIP AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND TO EXTEND THE DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO ALL BELIEVERS WORLDWIDE WHO ARE DEEPLY AFFECTED BY HIS PASSING.
Whereas, the members of the General Assembly were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope John Paul II on Saturday, April 2, 2005, at the age of eighty-four; and
Whereas, Pope John Paul II was one of the most influential figures of the last twenty-six years and his legacy will continue for many years into the future; and
Whereas, he will be forever known as a great defender of life, arguing for the defense of human life from the moment of conception until natural death, and for breaking down interfaith barriers when he visited a Jewish synagogue, a Muslim mosque, and made pilgrimages to Orthodox countries where no pope had ever set foot; and
Whereas, the Pope's formative years were marked by personal and national tragedy. Before the age of twenty he lost his mother, his only brother, and his father; and
Whereas, these events had a profound effect on the young man from Krakow, Poland and prompted his lifelong spiritual devotion to the Virgin Mary; and
Whereas, in 1938, while working toward a philosophy degree at the University of Krakow, his study was interrupted by the Nazi invasion of Poland. Spared from the concentration camps, he dedicated his life to God and the Church, entering Krakow's clandestine theological seminary in 1942, a risky step under the Gestapo's watchful eyes; and
Whereas, after being ordained to the priesthood and serving for four years, he returned to academia and earned a second doctorate in moral theology; and
Whereas, he was named an auxiliary bishop of Krakow at age thirty-eight, becoming the youngest bishop in Poland's history. In 1964 he was named Archbishop of Krakow, and three years later he became a cardinal. Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope on October 16, 1978; and
Whereas, within months of election he had taken trips around the globe, held airborne press conferences, issued an encyclical on redemption, met with world leaders, and opened a new chapter in ecumenical dialogue with the Orthodox; and
Whereas, a would-be assassin's bullets briefly slowed the Pope's whirlwind pace on May 13, 1981, but he was soon back in full swing. In all, he logged over 700,000 miles in trips to nearly 130 countries, including such remote spots as Azerbaijan, with a Catholic population of 120; and
Whereas, his political activism is credited for helping bring down European Communism in 1989; and
Whereas, the Pope received warm welcomes in his seven trips to the United States. South Carolinians will never forget the Holy Father's pilgrimage to the Palmetto State in 1987. During his visit the Pope praised ecumenical programs, saying that despite lack of full agreement, it is no small achievement of the ecumenical movement that after centuries of mistrust, we humbly and sincerely recognize in each other's communities the presence and fruitfulness of Christ's gifts at work; and
Whereas, in so many ways he has left a lasting image on his Church. Many young Catholics, who have never known another pope, proudly call themselves part of the "John Paul II generation"; and
Whereas, the example of his holy life spoke even louder than the powerful messages delivered throughout his papacy to people inside and outside the Catholic household as he often issued a call for the western world to care for the impoverished. His legacy will remain for centuries. The members of the General Assembly, the Catholic Diocese of Charleston, and people throughout the State mourn his loss and extend our prayers. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, hereby express their profound sorrow upon the death of Pope John Paul II, praise his lifetime of leadership and accomplishments, and extend the deepest sympathy to believers worldwide, all of whom are deeply affected by his passing.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Reverend Robert J. Baker, Bishop of Charleston and to the Office of the Secretary of State of the Vatican in Rome, Italy.
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