St John Paul II- The Pope of the Common Good (A Birth Centenary Tribute)

Richard Britto is a Catholic priest of the diocese of Mysore. He was born on 20th August 1971, at Virajpet, South Kodagu, Karnataka and he was ordained a priest on 5th May 1998. After serving for five years in the diocese in three parishes as the assistant parish priest and parish priest, he joined the Staff of St Peter's Pontifical Seminary in 2003. Presently he teaches Philosophy, Ecology, Human Rights and Moral Theology in St Peter's Pontifical Institute, Bangalore. He is also the Dean of Philosophy Studies at the same Institute.

Apart from this, he is also the Vice Rector of St Peter's Pontifical Seminary as well the Regional Secretary of the Karnataka Regional Commission for Vocation and Formation, Priests and Religious.

He has completed B.Ed, M.A. from secular universities in India and he holds Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. He has authored two books and contributed over twenty five articles in various renowed Periodicals, Journals and Magazines.

This year (2020), we celebrate the birth centenary of St John Paul II (18 May 1920-18 May 2020). It is a joyful and historical event in the Church. Pope Francis celebrated on 18th May 2020, the birth centenary mass at the alter of the tomb of St John Paul II, remembering him as "a prophet sent from God" and "a man of God," calling him "a great man of mercy". In particular, the Church in Poland celebrated the masses with limited congregations to mark the birth of St John Pail II, the son of the soil, to comply with Covid-19 restrictions and broadcasted various programs through online media and State- run media to the online viewers to mark his birth centenary. In remembrance of his birth centenary a pilgrimage to Poland has been organised to give his huge followers an opportunity to get inspired and strengthened by walking on the soil of his birth, the land where grew up and the paths where he walked. In fact, during his Papacy, St John Paul II often returned to Wadowice, Niegowic, Krawkow and Zakopane, to refresh and revive his spirit. Accordingly, this literary work, entitled as "St John Paul II: The Pope of the Common Good, A Birth Centenary Tribute", makes a pilgrimage into the life, works, teachings and writings of St John Paul II to revive the spirit of the common good as to light a spark of inspiration and encouragement to recover from the global crisis of Covid-19 pandemic.

Pope Francis, in his new encyclical letter, "Fratelli Tutti", on "fraternity" and "social friendship", signed at the tomb of St Francis of Assisi on 3rd October 2020 in Assisi, Italy, gives a universal call to build the post-Covid-19 pandemic world with the vision of the common good, with the openness to accept and love all as "brothers and sisters", by recognizing them equal in dignity and loving every person with a love without borders.' This is the "fraternity" that the Pope Francis insists that the present crisis stricken pandemic world in urgent need. He hopes that this fraternity alone is capable of overcoming all distance, differences, alienation, exploitation, and every temptation to engage in disputes, impositions, or submissions and work for the common good. He points out that Covid-19 pandemic has exposed how weak and fragile is the present world because of the political and systems, our wrong vision of life, progress and developments which seek only selfish interest and profit but not at the service of the humanity, our false securities, our fragmentation, and our inability to work together for the common good. The hard times of Covid-19 pandemic has made us to experience that we are more alone than ever. Thus Pope Francis presents in Fratelli tutti a new vision of the world of "fraternity and social friendship" for the post-Covid-19 world." to restore hope of better future and to renew the sense of the common good and strive to achieve universal common good as a global community.

Moreover, it is also our noble duty to remember St John Paul II, with opt much affection and thanksgiving on his birth centenary. We pay him our loving tribute by recognizing him as "the Pope of the Common Good." The title is and suitable to render our worthy tribute to a great soul, who lived a life totally committed to the common good both in word and deed, both through his life and writings. This is a humble act of paying him deserving tribute on his birth centenary, in recognition of his achievements in promoting the common good, during his papacy.

St John Paul II (Karol Jozef Wojtyla), born on 18th May 1920 in the Polish town of Wadowice, 35 miles southwest of Krakow, he went on to become a great Pope beyond all expectations and imaginations, to be remembered today as the third longest reigned pope in the history and the most well-travelled pope. St John Paul II, by his pontificate for over twenty six and half years, has left behind an enormous legacy. His pontificate was marked by profound significance for the Church and for the world. By his life and teachings, he deserves much respect as a spiritual leader as well as a world leader. He was a great gift of God to the world and to the Church. As a missionary Pope, he energetically travelled all around the world, taking 104 pastoral international voyages, reaching out to every continent for the propagation of the faith and strengthening the local churches. As a professional philosopher and a proficient theologian, he raised the consciousness of all human beings of his age about the truth of the human and the destiny of the social life as well as the divine providence.

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