The most familiar group of people commonly referred to as a “generation” is known as the “baby-boomers.” They consist of those Americans born within a couple decades of the end of World War II. They are a crowd that is formidable in size and is presently filling local cemeteries and nursing homes. They are a vanishing generation.
On the other end of the spectrum are a significant and influential number of folks known as “The John Paul II Generation.” Defined strictly, these “young” people were moving through their most formative years during the 26-year pontificate of Pope Saint John Paul II. This group includes individuals from all around the globe, and it most certainly is not limited simply to Catholics or to those in their 20s, 30s and 40s. It is comprised of multiple generations of people of all faiths.
The influence of a saint is universal in scope, most especially when the figure in question is the most widely travelled and the most encountered person in the history of humanity. Such is the case with John Paul II. As with all the saints, the positive impact of his life on the Church, on cultures and on the world is immeasurable. This fact explains why the Church honors saints as they do.
It takes a person of greatness like John Paul II radically to change the lives of people who either are well beyond their morally formative 20s and 30s or are of a totally different religious mindset. This saint did that and more! His charismatic personality mixed with a genuine and insightful understanding of the human condition touched the hearts of virtually everyone who heard his teachings or witnessed his actions. His writings alone will continue to form and reform modern philosophy and theology.
Even while references to the “John Paul II Generation” target a sampling of humanity that were school-age or young adults when this saint was serving as pope, the scope of influence is so much broader. This man changed for the better the thinking of overlapping generations of people around the globe. He made them more pro-life. He made them more pro-family. He made them more pro-Church. He made them more human. In short, he made them more holy, bringing them closer to their Lord.
Considering the average number of years that it traditionally takes for saintly figures to be officially canonized, it is quite the privilege both to have been directly affected by the life of a saint and to live to see that saint canonized. Many are enjoying that privilege right now—in duplicate!
While Saint Pope John XXIII likely will never have a generation named for his influence on them, we must not forget that his holiness of life will have long-range effects upon the world, as is the case with any saint. He was pope for only a fraction of the time that John Paul was (just 5 years), but his call for renewal in the Church through the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) will have a lasting resonance for generations to come. He effectively invited the Holy Spirit to renew the Church.
While we have heard and seen “the Great” added to John Paul’s name, it behooves us to remember that every saint is truly a “great” example of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and live out that relationship in one’s daily life. Let’s get to know better both of the great saints that the Church is adding to her ranks at this time. We will all be better off for having done so.
