Pope John Paul II - Defensor Vitae Patch Program

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The list below is a sampling of books about Pope John Paul II’s life and teachings. There are many more books available – online and traditional bookstores or your local parish/library may be useful in finding additional books of interest on Pope John Paul II.

· In My Own Words compiled by Anthony F. Chiffolo
· Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II by George Weigel
· The Way to Christ : Spiritual Exercises by Pope John Paul II · Memory and Identity: Conversations at the   
  Dawn of a Millennium by Pope John Paul II
· John Paul II's Book of Mary by Pope John Paul II
· Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way by Pope John Paul II
· Crossing the Threshold of Hope by Pope John Paul II
· The Poetry of Pope John Paul II by Pope John Paul II
· An Invitation to Prayer (Private Prayers of Pope John Paul II)
· For the Children: Words of Love and Inspiration from His Holiness Pope John II
· My Dear Young Friends: Pope John Paul II Speaks to Teens on Life, Love, and Courage

The Vatican Web Site has extensive information on Pope John Paul II and can be found at:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/index.htm

The Evangelium Vitae encyclical may be found at the Vatican Web Site under:
http://www.vatican.va/edocs/ENG0141/_INDEX.HTM
Click on the "Read this document as a whole page" link to view the entire document at once.

Interfaith relations references:

1. Pope John Paul II's 1994 book Crossing the Threshold of Hope

2. PBS discussion "The Pope and Interfaith Relations" http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week832/discussion2.html

3. Enter "pope john paul ii" +"interfaith relations" in Google.  Read some of the articles about JPII and his efforts on interfaith relations with Christianity and Judaism, Muslims, and other faiths.

Importance of young people:

1. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/youth/index.htm 
   Read his speeches at the WYD over the years, especially 1995 and 2000.

2. See also the books listed above For the Children and My Dear Young Friends

3. Papal writings to youth: http://www.cdeducation.org/oym/connections/papal.htm

Totus Tuus – Totally Yours or All Yours. There was no doubt that John Paul II was sustained in his resolve to surrender his will completely and totally to God. His life motto, Totus Tuus, says it all. That sense of surrender brought about an unusual sense of confidence in his own abilities and the strength that he needed to address world and church challenges, with courage and faith.

Defensor Vitae – Defender of Life. Pope John Paul II was always a great defender of life, in all its forms. He was against the death penalty, even for those who were great sinners. He talked about protecting the life of the unborn. In many quarters of society, those are not popular messages. (Reflections on the Life of Pope John Paul II, Brother Stan Sobczyk, F.S.C.)

Evangelium Vitae – Gospel of Life. Today's culture is challenging the right to life, not only at the beginning of life, but at the end and even in between! When the inviolable rights of the human person are proclaimed and the value of life publicly affirmed, "the right to life, is being denied or trampled upon, especially at the more significant moments of existence: the moment of birth and the moment of death" (Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life [Evangelium Vitae], 18) From the Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics, A Statement by the Catholic Bishops of the United States.