Costa Rica to bestow honorary distinction on John Paul II

San José, Costa Rica, Jun 18, 2007 / 09:18 am

 

The Costa Rican Congress has accepted consideration of a bill that would bestow a special honorary distinction on Pope John Paul II in recognition of his pastoral work carried out throughout his pontificate and that “contributed to knocking down the walls that divide humanity.”

Presented by Representative Jose Manuel Echandi, the bill emphasizes that the Servant of God John Paul II will remain as one of the greatest figures of human history in the religious, political and social fields.  Likewise, Echandi’s proposal makes special mention of the Pope’s travels around the world, especially to Latin America, which earned him the title of the “Pilgrim Pope.” He noted as well that Pope John Paul II was the first pope to visit Costa Rica.