A 300-lb acrylic Peace Cross in honor of St. John Paul II was gifted to the Holy See’s mission at the United Nations, a token from the Pave the Way Foundation, which seeks to help believers of different religions exist in harmony.
Sculptors Mitchell Meisner and Colby Grace created the 3-foot work of art over two years, memorializing the canonization of St. John Paul II.
Sir Gary Krupp, founder and president of the Pave the Way Foundation, who is among a small number of Jewish faithful to be honored with papal knighthood of the Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great, said that the mission of the nonsectarian Pave the Way Foundation is to identify and resolve obstacles between religions, a goal that they meet by building trust among faiths through cultural, education, and technological gestures.
For example, the Pave the Way foundation has been instrumental in spreading the truth about Pope Pius XII and his protection of the Jews, a truth at odds with many commonly held impressions of one who has been called “Nazi’s pope.”
The Pave the Way Foundation chose to commemorate St. John Paul II on the cross for his work for peace among nations, and in gratitude for peaceful relations between Jews and Christians.
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The Foundation commissioned the Cross for the Holy See Mission to the UN as a gesture in support of peace and solidarity between religions.
The Dedication placard reads: “The Saint John Paul Peace Cross is given with the prayerful wishes that it inspires the legacy of respect for human dignity as embodied by Saint John Paul II, on all those who gaze upon it.”
The cross is placed in the office of Archbishop Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, where he receives his many guests, including ambassadors, national leaders, senior U.N. officials, religious leaders, and representatives from various organizations.
Before blessing the cross, Archbishop Auza said that he chose to place the cross in his office rather than in other parts of the Mission so that all his visitors can be “overwhelmed by its beauty” and inspired to work towards “a future filled not with the darkness of fear but with the radiant light symbolized by this dove.”
And today we celebrate...