THE PRESS FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1981. Evil act against a good man

Press, 15 May 1981, Page 12

THE PRESS FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1981. Evil act against a good man

those who manifestly stand for what is good should be able to move without fear among their fellows. In less than three years as Pope, John Paul II has become a modern rarity, a morally trustworthy leader who has tried, round the world and am°ng people of a variety of creeds, to affirm what is good. The attempt to kill him yesterday, whatever the motives of the would-be assassin, is not a political act - it is a confrontation of good and evil. ~ attempt proclaims a sickness in the world in a manner even more stark than other recent attempts on the lives of prominent people - the shooting of President Reagan two months ago or the murder of Lord Mountbatten in 1979. Pone John Paul II has radiated a sense of optimism and courage in countries as far apart as Japan and the Congo. He has preached a message to mankind: “Do not be afraid.” He has done so from a conviction in the Christian faith, and from his long, personal experience of sustaining that faith under the Nazi occupation of Poland and under the subsequent Communist oppression in his unfortunate native country.

He has made enemies, not least in the Catholic Church itself, for his conservative teachings on such matters as abortion, celibacy, and the place of women in the Church. Even his most outspoken critics have acknowledged a wholesome unity in his affirmation of the worth and dignity of individual human beings, whether in his campaign on behalf of the poor in Latin America or his condemnation of nuclear

weapons and of political terrorism. His authority has come from the strength of his personality, not from his office alone. It has given him the power to encourage his audiences, not to scold them. The Pope is expected to recover from the shooting. He is said to have been in robust good health. In journeys round the world, as well as appearances in the Vatican, he has demonstrated that he believes his task requires him to mingle with ordinary people. Many will surely urge him not to place himself so much at risk. Karol Wojtyla, John Paul 11, is not a man who is likely to let concern for his personal safety interfere with his work as he perceives it. To put a distance between himself and those who look to him for guidance and strength would be to accept that the evil in men’s behaviour has triumphed a little further over the good. Even elaborate security measures are not infallible against those determined on assassination. If early reports about the identity of the Pope’s assailant are correct, the attack in St Peter’s Square suggests that greater co-operation and responses among the ’ security services of various countries might help to protect the people most at risk. The shooting has been called “an attack against the world.” Some good may yet come from it if it heightens the revulsion which decent people feel against violence. Such revulsion will need to stimulate vigorous action. Leaders of worth and courage are too rare to be constantly at risk from the whims of deranged or politicial murderers.