The beatification of John Paul II is an enormous joy for the whole Church. It is a confirmation of something that was already known and had been seen live: the extraordinary Christian figure of John Paul II. A man of faith, of optimism and good humor, of illusion, with great intellectual and artistic sensitivity; with a spirit of dialogue; and with a clear idea of the Church's status and of the keys to move forward. Truly, a gift from God.

It is very difficult to summarize the figure of John Paul II, because it is of enormous intensity. He did many things, almost always in parallel, and for many years. But without ever losing the traits of a man of prayer. He did not allow himself to be carried away by the urgency of the business or by the haste to meet the tight schedules of his audiences or his trips.

He began a universal, and exhausting, program of trips, to have a direct contact with the Christian communities spread throughout the world. They contributed wonderfully to renewing the unity of the Church. It is less well known that, in parallel, he followed a program to visit all the dioceses of Italy and all the parishes of Rome. And he almost succeeded.

With the same purpose, to unite and renew the Church, he convoked many regional synods. And he created the conference World Youth Days, which have been a great source of hope and evangelization in recent years. The next one will be held in Madrid in August 2011. He promoted many celebrations to renew the Christian report . He was particularly excited about entering the third millennium. He prepared it as a great celebration of the Church for years and also with that memorable workshop of "purification of the report", asking forgiveness for the errors. It was a very important commitment staff. He also wanted to keep report of the many Christian martyrs of the 20th century.

From the time he was a young priest, he was very conscious of the urgency of presenting well the Christian doctrine on sexuality and marriage. So that Christians could better know and live their faith in a hedonistic environmental culture, which has broken its natural relationship with marriage and the transmission of life. It can be said that his thought has greatly influenced how these issues are explained today in the Church. Perhaps this is his main contribution as a theologian and professor of morals, which he was in his youth.

He also generated a set of very important documents on almost all points core topic of Christian doctrine. The Catechism of the Catholic Church stands out, a true historical landmark, because there has only been one other Universal Catechism (that of St. Pius V). And many said that it was impossible to make a Catechism for the whole Church today. But with his characteristic tenacity, he went all the way. He also promulgated the Code of Canon Law. And he renewed the social doctrine of the Church, on human rights, the foundations of Christian morality, the relationship between faith and Philosophy and many other doctrinal topics. He left a very important body of doctrine. He strongly promoted ecumenism and dialogue with other religions. He attended all the major international forums. He met with a multitude of leaders. And he multiplied the relations of the Holy See with many nations.

Finally, we cannot forget the role he played in the fall of the communist world. His election was lived with enormous hope by the Polish workers who wanted liberation. John Paul II strongly supported the process with public declarations and private actions, which are gradually becoming known. He enjoyed the friendship and respect of the great protagonists such as Reagan and Gorbachev. And it should not be forgotten that many analysts thought that those regimes, however corrupt and inefficient they were, could be prolonged for another hundred years. It was a miracle that the countries of the East, one after the other, evolved peacefully. Even if the failure of the Balkans was later to be regretted, topic , in which John Paul II was also personally involved. The same as to achieve peace between Chile and Argentina. Or to avoid the war with Iraq, where he was ignored. And it would have been worth it.

But the beatification supposes, above all, to confirm his inner disposition, what we suspected. That he was a great Christian, a man of prayer and love of God and neighbor, which is what the Christian life is all about. Because what is judged in the process is whether he lived heroically, in an extraordinary way, the Christian virtues. Faith, charity, justice, humility? John Paul II thus becomes an example to imitate and an intercessor to ask before God.