Pope John Paul II to America 20 years ago:"there are false teachers and dissenting voices...stand up for life...the lives of unborn babies...the aged and the handicapped..."

The Pope and his Cardinal 

Twenty years ago the now forgotten and ignored St. Pope John Paul the Great preached before the faithful in New York City. 

In St. Patrick's Cathedral, on October 7th, 1995, for the Recitation of the Holy Rosary, with the saintly John Cardinal O'Connor, the holy Pope warned: 

"From many points of view, these are difficult times for parents who wish to pass on to their children the treasure of the Catholic faith. Sometimes you yourselves are not sure what the Church stands for. There are false teachers and dissenting voices. Bad examples cause great harm. Furthermore, a self-indulgent culture undermines many of the values which are at the basis of sound family life".

St. John Paul the Great in Central Park

During Holy Mass, on the same day in Central Park, the great Pope solemnly  proclaimed: 

"Like Mary, you must not be afraid to allow the Holy Spirit to help you become intimate friends of Christ. Like Mary, you must put aside any fear, in order to take Christ to the world in whatever you do – in marriage, as single people in the world, as students, as workers, as professional people. 

Christ wants to go to many places in the world, and to enter many hearts, through you. Just as Mary visited Elizabeth, so you too are called to "visit" the needs of the poor, the hungry, the homeless, those who are alone or ill; for example those suffering from AIDS. 

You are called to stand up for life! To respect and defend the mystery of life always and everywhere, including the lives of unborn babies, giving real help and encouragement to mothers in difficult situations. You are called to work and pray against abortion, against violence of all kinds, including the violence done against women’s and children’s dignity through pornography. 

Stand up for the life of the aged and the handicapped, against attempts to promote assisted-suicide and euthanasia! Stand up for marriage and family life! 

Stand up for purity! Resist the pressures and temptations of a world that too often tries to ignore a most fundamental truth: that every life is a gift from God our Creator, and that we must give an account to God of how we use it either for good or evil".