Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the first Pope John Paul II Day in Canada.
We will forever celebrate and honour Saint John Paul Il on April 2 each year. Pope John Paul lI was a champion of freedom and human rights. His legacy goes far beyond his role as pope. He was vital in promoting international understanding and peace-building. He was a bridge-builder between faiths and a champion of youth.
He was central to defeating Communism in Europe and has left a profound and lasting impact on the world. I had the honour to meet him and to help bring World Youth Day to Canada in 2002, a memory I will always carry with me.
I would like to thank my colleague from Mississauga EastâCooksville for introducing the bill and for allowing me the honour to second it.
Today, April 2, also marks the 95th birthday of my father, Lieutenant-Colonel Zdzislaw Opitz, a soldier of General Wladyslaw Anders' 2nd Polish Corps and a gulag survivor. I wish my dad sto lat today.