OSCE Chairman Dimitrij Rupel pays tribute to Pope John Paul II

LJUBLJANA, 3 April 2005 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, paid tribute to the late Pope John Paul II on Sunday, describing him as probably the most important European personality of the last quarter of the 20th century.

"Pope John Paul II was a messenger and defender of human rights, democracy, freedom and the right of nations to self-determination," the OSCE Chairman said. "He was probably the most important European political personality of the last quarter of the 20th Century. He played a highly significant role in ending Cold War divisions and reuniting the continent."

Minister Rupel said the Pope had been widely respected in all OSCE participating States as a passionate advocate of freedom, solidarity, justice and peace among peoples and nations. He initiated dialogue and reconciliation between Christian churches and was a pioneer of dialogue between Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

"His powerful personal testimony of reconciliation in visiting his would-be assassin in prison in 1981 and offering him forgiveness was unforgettable," he added.

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office said the death of Pope John Paul filled him with great sadness but also with gratitude.

"He leaves a great void but his legacy will remain a beacon of hope for all of us," he said.

OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubis, presently in New York, noted that the Holy See was one of the original participants in the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), the forerunner of the OSCE, and a signatory of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act.

"Pope John Paul was totally committed to the principles of human rights and freedom on which the OSCE is founded," the Secretary General said.

"His extraordinary life and Pontificate embodied his conviction that the division of Europe into east and west was artificial and must be overcome. He was a powerful moral authority whose passionate belief in the unique dignity of every human being remains an inspiration for us all."