When Card. Karol Wojtyla came to the United States in 1976, just before becoming Pope John Paul II, he said:
“We are NOW standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of the American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are NOW facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel. This confrontation lies within the plans of Divine Providence.”
Bl. John Paul spent much of his focus during his pontificate on responding to the confrontation with a call for holiness, the New Evangelization, the New Pentecost, and the new springtime for the Church. As he saw the great confrontation, which is now at hand, he also prophetically pointed the way to the great era of peace that will come afterwards, as Our Lady of Fatima promised.
For more on Bl. John Paul II, visit http://catholic.org/pope/jp2/sainthood.php
