John Paul II

From the dark shadow of Nazism and Communism, this global "Witness to Hope" emerged to tell the world: "Be not afraid!" This papacy was a marathon of the spirit, crossing borders and breaking barriers to proclaim the "Gospel of Life" to every corner of the earth. Surviving an assassin’s bullet and crediting the "hand that diverted" it, this figure later visited the attacker to offer forgiveness. This life represents the truth that the dignity of the human person is the only foundation for a civilization of love—a philosopher-pope who turned the world’s attention back to the "splendor of truth."