Pope John Paul’s Visit to L.A.

Pope John Paul II’s visit to Los Angeles and to the U.S. has fostered a general climate of love, fellowship, tolerance toward others, justice and a clarion call to time-honored virtues of trust in God and the basic kinship of mankind. His presence with us was a fresh breath of air, even in a city oft-shrouded in varying degrees of smog density. After a wait of 2 1/2 hours, I had the privilege of attending the Coliseum Mass along with 103,000 others. It was a memory to treasure.

Although this pontiff came with definite guidelines for the 350 bishops, it’s my belief that outside the area of dogma itself, the impact he made during his interfaith meetings, his ability and desire to listen and participate in dialogues with representatives of the many religious groups was a profound step in breaking down barriers and suspicions.

The Pope is a figure of charismatic intensity coupled with a deep and abiding sense of humility; these characteristics shone brightly through in all his public appearances. His love for all mankind, regardless of race or creed, proved to be a radiant truism. His short time with us has stimulated a renewal of thought as to what’s genuinely important in each of our lives.

FRANK R. WYNNE

Los Alamitos