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PRAYER FOR JOHN PAUL II's INTERCESSION (November 26, 2006, Published by The Diocese of Rome) |
The Diocese of Rome published the written prayer to implore favors through the intercession the late Pope John Paul II.
The prayer is being disseminated by the postulator of the cause of his beatification, Monsignor Slawomir, Order of the Diocese of Torum, Poland. The Monsignor is currently judicial vicar of the Court of Appeals of the Diocese of Rome.
In the phase of the process of beatification, proof will be required of a miracle attributed to Karol Wojtyla's intercession. The process of beatification has officially begun June 28, 2005.
Here is the text of the prayer:
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O Blessed Trinity, Trusting fully in Your infinite
mercy Grant us, by his intercession, and
according to your will,
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Understanding
the Spirit of John Paul II
Observers Try to Assess His Inner Life ROME, APRIL 16, 2005 (Zenit.org).- In recent weeks innumerable commentaries and interviews have tried to analyze what John Paul II did for the Church and the world during his pontificate. Many pieces concentrated on his external actions, though some did try to understand the Pope's inner life. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor touched on this in an article published April 3 by the London Telegraph. The cardinal described the Holy Father as a "man of deep prayer" who "had a conviction of God's providence running through his life." This prayer not only inspired and sustained John Paul II during the years of his pontificate, but when he was afflicted with the infirmities of recent years it gave him the strength to continue, according to the British cardinal. This intense inner life was also evident in his relationship with the crowds of pilgrims. While he often preached before a large mass of enthusiastic pilgrims "he also led them into silence and contemplation," noted Cardinal Murphy O'Connor. "He was always the still center, who radiated the serenity that comes from a life of prayer." This aspect was examined in an interview with German philosopher and Protestant Rüdiger Safranski, published in the April 11 issue of the magazine Der Spiegel. Safranski observed: "The special thing about this pope, this media genius, is that he managed to create a connection between mysticism and the media, between a spiritual approach to life and the media's social packaging and globalization of this phenomenon. This is something new, even in the age of television." An acknowledgment of the spiritual role of John Paul II also came from Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. In an April 5 column Dionne observed that "If John Paul stood for one large thing, it was primacy of the spiritual over the material." Commentators on the Pope, Dionne noted, "will inevitably debate the meaning of his legacy in the secular terms that so dominate our times. We should try to remember that these were not the terms on which he lived his life." Henryk Wozniakowski, president of a Polish publishing company Znak, reflected on what motives underpinned John Paul II. Writing in the Financial Times on April 7, he noted that the genius of the Pope lay in "his ability to bring out people's virtues, their desire for goodness and truth -- sometimes deeply buried." This ability was accompanied by a tireless effort in journeys, writings and public appearances, which, by demonstrating the Pope's interest in others, gave credibility to his message. Cardinal Francis George, writing in the Chicago Tribune of April 4, commented: "Karol Wojtyla was a person who held the office of the papacy in a way that transformed it." In trying to account for the impact that John Paul II had on so many people, Cardinal George explained: "He was a man steeped in the tradition that unites us to Christ; he was also a man of his own time, our time, who understood contemporary experience even as he subjected it to criticisms that echoed Jesus' own criticisms of his society 2,000 years ago." Beyond labels Understanding the Pope from within was also important to keep in mind when reading the contributions by those commentators who termed John Paul II as a "conservative." And conservative was just the mildest of adjectives used by those who were critical of his pontificate. However, Christopher Caldwell, writing in the April 2 edition of the Financial Times, argued that the Pope defied this sort of ideological classification. While he upheld doctrine on matters of sexual morality, John Paul II was also active in opposing war. And, as well as recognizing the positive aspects of capitalism, he was also critical of its failings and called for greater attention to the needs of the poor. Instead of applying labels to John Paul II, Caldwell recommended trying to understand the philosophical and theological ideas that he proposed. In this sense George Weigel, writing in the Wall Street Journal on April 4, said John Paul II was different from other "conservative critics" of contemporary culture. The Pope, Weigel observed, proposed "a truer, nobler humanism, built on the foundation of the biblical conviction that God had made the human creature in His image and likeness, with intelligence and free will, a creature capable of knowing the good and freely choosing it." The true measure of man, according to the Pope, is "the human capacity, in cooperation with God's grace, for heroic virtue." Ecumenism and religious dialogue A major concern of John Paul II, noted by many in their reflections on his pontificate, was the effort made to improve relations between the Catholic Church and other Christian churches. In an article published by the London-based Times on April 11, Rowan Williams, Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, explained that even though there continue to be differences between the two faiths, "there had been an irreversible reconciliation between Anglicans and Catholics during the reign of John Paul II for his successor to build on." To which, Bishop John Flack, the archbishop of Canterbury's representative in Rome, added that the Pope had been "a figurehead for all Christians, a parish priest to the whole world." Mark Noll, a historian at Wheaton College in Illinois, pondered the Pope's role in improving relations between Catholic and evangelicals, in an article published April 10 by the Boston Globe. In the 1960 presidential campaign evangelical leaders in the United States warned people of the danger in electing a Catholic president who would carry out orders from Rome. Today the situation is radically different. Noll cited evangelical Gary Bauer, who last year commented that "today evangelicals and Southern Baptists are hoping that the Vatican will tell Catholic politicians what to do." But politics is only a part of the reconciliation. Under John Paul II, contacts between the Catholic Church and evangelical groups multiplied. Noll cited the case of a 2003 meeting in the Vatican, when the Pope hosted a reception for leaders of the Alpha Course, established by Anglican evangelicals in Britain. The purpose of the meeting, Noll explained, was to spur cooperation between Alpha leaders and Vatican personnel to enable use of Alpha materials for Catholics. John Paul II was also noted for improving relations between the Church and Jews. Silvan Shalom, Israeli minister of foreign affairs, observed that John Paul II guided the Catholic Church into a closer relationship with the Jewish people. Interviewed in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera of April 4, the minister noted that not only did the Pope call the Jews "our elder brothers during the first visit by a Pope to a synagogue, but it was also in his pontificate that the Holy See and Israel established diplomatic relations." Shalom also reflected on how John Paul II also asked forgiveness for the errors committed by the Church and its members in its relations with Jews and in his historic visit to Israel left a manuscript in the Western Wall of the Temple of Jerusalem to that effect. "He dared to do what no other Pope before him had done," said Shalom. A number of commentators pointed out that the Church had started the process of reconciliation with Jews some time before John Paul II arrived as Pope, especially with the Second Vatican Council declaration "Nostra Aetate." But, Dow Marmur, rabbi emeritus of Toronto's Holy Blossom Temple, writing in Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper on April 5, noted that "What the Church had decreed on paper, however, Pope John Paul II translated into action." And regarding relations with the Islamic world, Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, imam of the Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, commented that John Paul II was notable for his patience and ability to comprehend problems. In an interview published April 4 by Avvenire, Tantawi, considered the most authoritative figure in the Sunni school of Islam, added that the legacy left by John Paul II was one of constructive dialogue. Tantawi expressed the hope that both Christians and Muslims would continue to make a serious effort to know each other better and to overcome the prejudices that are only too common. ZE05041601 email this article TOP Pope's Legacy as a World Leader "Angel of the New Evangelization" ROME, APRIL 16, 2005 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II's enormous influence on the world stage was a common feature of many commentaries. "The greatest evangelist in recent times," was how Cardinal Cipriano Calderón, former vice president of the Pontifical Council for Latin America, described John Paul II. In the Spanish daily ABC on April 7 the cardinal wrote that the Pope, through his writings, speeches and "an infinity of documents," along with his 104 international trips, gave an indefatigable testimony. Right up until his death John Paul II was carrying out this mission of evangelization as a herald of the Gospels, of peace, and of the message of Jesus Christ, explained Cardinal Calderón. Never before has the Gospel message been preached with such amplitude and intensity, he affirmed. And the fruits of this effort in terms of faith, of Christian life and ecclesial dynamism have been immense. Cardinal Calderón termed John Paul II the "angel of the new evangelization, of the planetary evangelization." This missionary aspect was also commented on by John O'Sullivan in the April 2 issue of Canada's National Post. The immense gatherings of believers that surrounded the Holy Father on his journeys was evidence that faith "was not a relic of the past," O'Sullivan noted. It was also evidence of "the vibrant faith of millions of young people." He also noted that the Pope's visits to Third World countries coincided with an upsurge of Christianity in general in these countries, to the extent that now European countries are looking to priests and religious from these zones to fill the gaps in vocations due to the "post-Christian materialism" in Europe. Political influence John Paul II's influence on world politics has been noted by many. In an April 4 interview with the Spanish newspaper El País, Cardinal Stanislaw Nagy, who was once a seminary companion of Karol Wojtyla's, affirmed that the Pope played an important part in bringing about the current regime of peace and justice in Europe. He played an important part in the development of the Polish movement Solidarity and also in the subsequent fall of the Berlin Wall. The cardinal's affirmations were supported in an article published the same day by the daily ABC by ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. John Paul II played an "enormous role" in ending the Cold War, he stated. John Paul II's role in bringing down the Berlin Wall was also acknowledged by Hans-Dietrich Genscher, foreign minister and vice chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1974 to 1992. Writing in the April 11 issue of the German magazine Der Spiegel, Genscher stated: "I think we can safely say that the Solidarnosc movement, strengthened by the Pope and protected as a result of his responsible and clear stance, had a major impact on the entire Soviet sphere of influence." French writer and philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy also reflected on the Pope's contribution to European unity. In the April 5 edition of the Wall Street Journal he wrote that the Pope "was one political and spiritual leader who immediately recognized that the idea that one half of Europe had to be abandoned to servitude was monstrous." The European continent owes its rediscovered unity to John Paul II, he affirmed. Timothy Garton Ash, writing in British newspaper Guardian on April 4, drew attention to the Pope's impact at a global level. "Pope John Paul II was the first world leader," as opposed to national leaders who have a world impact, he contended. Pope John Paul II combined three elements, Garton Ash noted; he was the head of the world's largest supranational organization of individual human beings; he believed with unshakeable conviction that his message was universal; and he seized the technological opportunity of bringing that message personally to almost every country on earth. The Pope's contributions, continued Garton Ash, ranged from his role in ending Europe's divisions to defending the poor in the Third World. And, far from being out of touch in his last years, no one else did more to avert a clash of civilizations than John Paul II. From his own position as "an agnostic liberal," Garton Ash stated: "John Paul II was, quite simply, the greatest political actor of the last quarter-century." Human rights John Paul II's contribution to the subject of human rights was examined by theologian Gino Concetti in an article published by L'Osservatore Romano on April 11. Concetti highlighted the contribution made by the Pope in his 1991 encyclical "Centesimus Annus." In this document John Paul II explained that an authentic democracy is only possible when it is based on a correct concept of the human person. One of the consequences of this is that a democracy, the encyclical explains, should be underpinned by recognition of fundamental human rights. These rights encompass diverse categories: individual, social, political, cultural and economic. The first of these rights is the right to life. And a few years later, in 1995, John Paul II took up this subject in greater detail, in the encyclical "Evangelium Vitae." Concetti also argued that John Paul II was responsible for formulating a new human right in the international area: the right of humanitarian intervention in a nation where an ethnic community or a part of the population is threatened with genocide. John Paul II, concluded Concetti, was a veritable champion of human rights. According to Polish philosopher Zygmunt Bauman, John Paul II was a "messenger of liberty." In an article published April 7 in Avvenire, a Catholic Italian daily newspaper, Bauman explained that the Pope never tired of saying to the groups he encountered that they should not be afraid and that they should strive to live in a liberty that allows them to love, free from fears. Defending women and the unborn The Pope's concept of women was examined in an interview with Wanda Poltawska, a former professor at Warsaw's Academy of Medicine and a friend of John Paul II for more than 50 years. In the interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa on April 7, Poltawska explained that from his first years as a priest the future Pope in his work with youth was concerned with preserving the sanctity of love, especially among women, who are more vulnerable. One of the phrases used by the Pope in his writings on women is the idea of the "female genius." Poltawska commented that the Pope was convinced that a fundamental characteristic of women is the capacity to be mothers. For John Paul II this maternal capacity made women deserving both of respect and love. The Pope's determined defense of human life was highlighted by Paul Johnson, writing in the Wall Street Journal on April 4. "Humans, albeit fallible and often foolish, were made in God's image, and to take a life, without the strongest possible justification, was an assault on God," said Johnson regarding the Pope's views. This, Johnson continued, led John Paul II to defend life, whether threatened by abortion, the death penalty, war or euthanasia. Regarding abortion Johnson noted that "It was a sharp sword in his heart which filled him with righteous indignation that, after the world had been scourged for more than 50 years by the mass killings of totalitarianism, anti-life politicians, above all in the democracies, should have set up a holocaust of the unborn." ZE05041602 email this article TOP Even in Death, a Media Superstar Popular Reaction Reveals Upsurge in Religion ROME, APRIL 16, 2005 (ZENIT.org).- John Paul II's death attracted an unprecedented level of interest from the media and the population in general. The Global Language Monitor organization has the data to prove the great media interest. As of the day of the Pope's funeral, there had been 12 million Internet citations, and 100,000 stories around the world in the media. In comparison, for the entire preceding year there were only 28,000 news stories and 1.5 million Internet citations about John Paul II. The coverage, noted Global Language Monitor, far exceeded attention given to other events such as the South Asian Tsunami, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and the deaths of Ronald Reagan and Princess Diana. Within the first 72 hours of the Pope's death there were about 10 times more news stores on John Paul II than were published in the same period on U.S. President George Bush following his re-election last November. An analysis of the coverage shows that the word "historic" was associated with the Pope nearly 3 million times, while "conservative" is associated some 1.75 million times, and "loved" or "beloved" some 600,000 times. Meanwhile, Catholic Internet sites saw a boom in use. Catholic sites recorded a 118% jump in market share of online visits for the week ending April 9, versus the randomly selected week ending Nov. 6 last year, according to the monitoring company Hitwise USA Incorporated. A report on the data was published Thursday by DM News. The Pope's death also triggered an avalanche of Internet searches. For the week ending April 2, searches of the keywords "pope john paul" were up 3,161%, "pope" 2,801%, and "pope john paul ii" 2,307%. The biggest beneficiary of the searches on the word “pope," at 11% of all searches, was the Vatican Web site (www.vatican.va). Followers-up, with 10% each, were www.catholic.net and the Google News page (www.news.google.com). Newspapers and television Newspaper coverage was also abundant. The British newspaper Independent noted some data regarding the press in the United Kingdom. According to an April 10 article, on the Monday following the Pope's death the Daily Mirror dedicated 19 pages to the issue, the Independent 13 pages, and the Times 11 pages. Other papers had similar levels of coverage, with exception of the Sun, which limited its coverage to just two pages. The attention was notable, according to the Independent's analysis of the media coverage. Britain is not only a very secularized country, with little space given in the media to religion, but the traditional religion is Anglican. In fact, Guardian journalist Martin Kettle commented in an April 5 article: "The funeral of a pope, let us be clear, has never until now been the sort of event deemed to require the attendance of the British prime minister -- or even of the Archbishop of Canterbury." Television coverage was also ample. The Associated Press on April 12 reported that more than 9 million people in the United States either wakened early or stayed up late to watch the Pope's funeral (it started at 4 a.m. on the East Coast and 1 a.m. on the West Coast). Television channels in the Arab world also gave large amounts of air-time to the Pope. An Agence France-Presse report on April 3 noted that Qatar-based Al-Jazeera, famous for screening videotapes by Osama bin Laden, was among the first to announce the death of John Paul II. In Lebanon, the Al-Manar satellite television of the Shiite fundamentalist movement Hezbollah interrupted its programs after the announcement of the Pope's death to broadcast live from the Vatican. Four other private Lebanese stations and the public Tele-Liban did the same. On the Sunday following the Holy Father's death, Al-Jazeera continued providing widespread coverage, as did Dubai-based Al-Arabiya. These two stations, along with many others throughout the Arab world, also aired several documentaries about John Paul II. Book sales up Book sales were also affected by the Pope's death. An April 10 report by the Associated Press noted that in the subsequent days several titles quickly reached the top 20 of online booksellers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Leading titles include five by John Paul: "The Way to Christ"; "Memory and Identity"; "Pope John Paul: In My Own Words"; "Rise, Let Us Be on Our Way"; and "Crossing the Threshold of Hope." Another popular book has been "Witness to Hope," a biography by George Weigel. Only hours after the Pope's death, HarperCollins announced that a new book by Weigel, not yet titled, would come out by year-end and "examine the death of the pope and the Catholic Church he left behind, while also offering an unparalleled inside account of the election of the next pope." On Thursday the Associated Press reported from Italy that sales of John Paul II's last book, "Memory and Identity: Conversations Between Millenniums," have increased by 50%, to about 12,000 copies a day, since his death. The data came from the book's publisher, Rizzoli. People power A number of commentators have tried to account for John Paul II's popularity, especially among young people. Gerard Baker, writing in London's Times on April 8, noted that John Paul II offered the multitudes of youth "a personality and leadership that many young people especially admire and crave, even if they find his exhortations hard to follow." Moreover, he continued, "it is the young who idealistically seek the truth and are sometimes ridiculed for it by more cynical elders." Analyzing the causes behind the multitude of pilgrims who came to Rome to pay homage to John Paul II, an article by Matthew Schofield in the Philadelphia Inquirer last Tuesday commented that even though many disagree with some Church teachings, the cultural roots of religion still go deep. As well, the article cited Johannes Christian Koecke, of Germany's Konrad Adenauer Stiftung research center, who, commenting on John Paul II, said, "I think, in the end, he was feeding a latent desire in Europeans for the church and for belief." Europe has lacked orientation in recent years, added Koecke, and the Pope had given the continent what was lacking. Schofield also cited Grace Davie, the director of the Center for European Studies at Exeter University in England. She said the reaction to the Pope's death "exposes the fragility of European secularism." Davie doubted that the young people who flocked to see the Pope overlooked his religious message. "The most popular religious leaders in the world right now use the means of modernity to question the values of modernity," she said. "It's a very successful approach around the world, and he was very good at it." And even the New York Times, in an article Thursday, had to admit the Pope's success with young people. "No matter who is chosen as the next pope, John Paul II has left behind a generation of committed young Roman Catholics who are already shaping the church in a more conservative mold than did their parents," the article observed. The New York Times noted the increase in seminarians who are faithful to papal teachings, the youth groups that promote Eucharistic adoration and pray the rosary, and the interest by many in the theology of the body developed by John Paul II. Youth evangelization, the article commented, was a priority of John Paul II, and this, combined with the growth of lay movements, has provided the Church with a new generation of enthusiastic believers. A gift left by John Paul II to whoever may be his successor. ZE05041603 email this article TOP ZENIT is an International News Agency. For reprint permission, please contact infoenglish@zenit.org. Visit our web page at http://www.zenit.org/ To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.zenit.org/english/subscribe.html To give a ZENIT gift subscription: http://www.zenit.org/english/ gift.h tml To make a one-time donation to support ZENIT: http://www.zenit.o rg/don ation/order/donation.html To make a monthly donation: http://zenit. org/do nation/order/monthly-donations.html SEND US YOUR NEWS:
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Pope John Paul II's crypt in the grottos beneath St. Peter's Basilica
Thousands
say final farewell to Pope John Paul II.
What World Leaders Say About John Paul II
"A Good Father to All of Us"
ROME, APRIL 9, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Throughout the week, praise for the person of John Paul II came from many corners, including the political realm. Below is a sampling of what world leader said about the late Pope.
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Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, president of Italy
"He has transmitted hope and fidelity to all of us. He has sculpted consciences with values that give meaning and dignity to people's lives and to human society. John Paul II believed in the force of the spirit and has witnessed, with his indomitable courage and serenity in suffering, the fortitude that enables us to affront any obstacle, to work for good in every circumstance. He will continue to live in our hearts, in our acknowledgment of his testimony and of his example. He has been a true apostle for peace in the whole world. Italy, Rome -- his diocese that is congregating in St Peter's Square -- cry for the loss of a father, for a loved person."
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Aleksander Kwasniewski, president of Poland
"A great Pope -- our most outstanding fellow countryman, the Holy Father, a good father to all of us, believers and nonbelievers, followers of different religions -- is no more."
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Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister of Italy
"We are grateful to him for the tireless and difficult work he carried out unstintingly against all forms of totalitarianism, violence, oppression and moral degradation, all in the name of the values of the Catholic Church, which are the supreme values of human dignity and solidarity."
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George W. Bush, president of the United States
"Pope John Paul II was, himself, an inspiration to millions of Americans, and to so many more throughout the world. We will always remember the humble, wise and fearless priest who became one of history's great moral leaders. We're grateful to God for sending such a man, a son of Poland, who became the Bishop of Rome, and a hero for the ages."
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Gerhard Schröder, German chancellor
The Pope had "influenced the peaceful integration of Europe in many ways. By his efforts and through his impressive personality, he changed our world."
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Lech Walesa, former Polish president and Solidarity leader
"I think we shall keep discovering how much the Holy Father worked for us and struggled for us. He spoke to us through his illness and through his suffering served to the very end.
"Without him there would be no end of communism or at least -- it would have come -- much later and the end would have been bloody."
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Shimon Peres, vice premier of Israel
The Pope "embodied the best that is within all mankind as well as the commonness of humanity. ... His actions and statements transformed relations between the Catholic and Jewish faiths, and made a fundamental impact on the struggle against anti-Semitism."
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Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian leader
"We will miss him as a distinguished religious figure, who devoted his life to defending the values of peace, freedom and equality."
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Fidel Castro, president of Cuba
"Humanity will preserve an emotional memory of the tireless work of His Holiness John Paul II in favor of peace, justice and solidarity among all people."
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Mohammad Khatami, Iranian president
"It is with extreme sadness that we hear of the passing of the leader of the world's Catholics, His Holiness Pope John Paul II, who commanded the three paths of religious learning, philosophical thought and poetical and artistic creativity."
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Kofi Annan, U.N. secretary-general
"Quite apart from his role as a spiritual guide to more than a billion men, women and children, he was a tireless advocate of peace, a true pioneer in interfaith dialogue and a strong force for critical self-evaluation by the Church itself."
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Gloria Arroyo, president of the Philippines
"He was a holy champion of the Filipino family and of profound Christian values that make everyone of us contemplate ... what is just, moral and sacred in life."
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Vicente Fox, president of Mexico
"John Paul II was an exceptional man, his legacy will transcend generations."
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Jacques Chirac, president of France
[History] "will retain the imprint and the memory of this exceptional sovereign pontiff, whose charisma, conviction and compassion carried the evangelical message with unprecedented resonance on the international stage."
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Tony Blair, prime minister of the United Kingdom
"The world has lost a religious leader who was revered across people of all faiths and none. He was an inspiration, a man of extraordinary faith, dignity and courage."
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Mary McAleese, president of Ireland
"His trust in the future, his never-wavering commitment to the worth of each human life and his witness under the burden of personal suffering constituted a sign of great value in the modern age."
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Levy Mwanawasa, president of Zambia
"To the departed Holy Father, I say we believe that it is not your wish to mourn you in our grief but to celebrate the achievements you humbly made to realize and emulate your life. But if you see tears rolling in our eyes, it is because we cannot bear saying farewell dear father."
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Armando Guebuza, president of Mozambique
Mozambican President Armando Guebuza described the death of John Paul II as an "irreplaceable loss" for the Mozambican people, because of the Pope's "tireless collaboration and dedication to the promotion of human and social development."
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Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, president of India
"The demise of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II was received with deep shock and profound sorrow, by the people of India who considered him a champion of world peace and harmony. His was an endearing voice of reason against all forms of intolerance, inhumanity and injustice. His ceaseless efforts to advocate the cause of human values will always be remembered as the beacon of hope against the daunting challenges of today's world."
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Álvaro Uribe, president of Colombia
The new generations that have only known one Pontiff, who today experience his loss, have in His Holiness a model of democracy, solidarity, of fighting without giving in. A model of peace and love, without exception or hate.
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John Howard, prime minister of Australia
"The Pope was an inspirational leader not only to 1 billion Catholics around the world but he was an exemplar of the Christian life for all Christians."
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Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil
"The death of Pope John Paul II profoundly saddens the Brazilian people. His three visits to Brazil are still remembered with vivid emotion. ... Brazil feels sorrowful for the loss of one of the men who positively marked the course of contemporary history."
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Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet president
"I mourn his loss. We knew it was coming to this. What can I say -- it must have been the will of God. He acted really courageously. His devotion to his followers is a remarkable example to all of us."
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José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission
"Europeans will never forget his fight for peace and human dignity."
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General Musharraf, president of Pakistan
"The Pope had rendered incredible services for peace, had brought people closer belonging to different faiths."
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Olusegun Obasanjo, president of Nigeria
"Pope John Paul II was not only the leader of Catholics around the world, including Nigeria, but also showed commitment and courage in his quest for mutual tolerance, harmony and unity among the world's religions."
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Vaclav Klaus, president of the Czech Republic
"I consider John Paul II to be one of the most outstanding personalities of the whole 20th century. He was a wise and sensitive man, who dedicated his entire life to the ideals of love to man, ideals of human kindness, humility, helping the weak ones, peace, human freedom, dignity, and responsibility. In a fundamental way he influenced the struggle for democracy in the countries of the Communist bloc and it was also his merit that these countries live in freedom again."
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What Church Leaders Say About the Pope
"A Most Worthy Successor of the Humble Fisherman of Galilee"
ROME, APRIL 9, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Throughout the week, praise for the person of John Paul II came from many corners, including the political realm. Below is a sampling of what world leader said about the late Pope.
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Archbishop Sean O'Malley of Boston
"In the Holy Year of 2000, the Holy Father called for all to 'Open Wide the Doors to Christ,' to follow Christ not out of obligation but out of love. Pope John Paul II's life mirrored this call as each day he opened himself to being an instrument of unapologetic truth on moral and ethical issues facing our culture. I pray that the Lord will grant grace upon grace to his faithful servant and will welcome him into the eternal light and peace of God’s heavenly kingdom."
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Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York
"He carried the Gospel into all corners of the world, proclaiming the dignity of every human being, the rights of the poor, and the evils of war 'in season and out of season.' In brief, he was a most worthy successor of the humble fisherman of Galilee upon whom the Lord built his Church."
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Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago
"Moral authority comes from office, but also from character. Karol Wojtyla was a survivor of Nazi-occupied Poland and its Communist successor government. He was a sportsman, an actor, a philosopher, and a poet. All of that captured people's imagination in a novel way, and he used all that he was to direct attention beyond himself to the One whose vicar he had become. In the past few years, he drew attention to Christ through his public fortitude in his sufferings, which conformed him personally ever more closely to Christ."
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Archbishop Charles Chaput, archbishop of Denver
"Pope John Paul II embodied the greatest qualities of the Second Vatican Council: a deep fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Gospel; profound confidence and joy in the Catholic faith; an openness to the good in the world; fraternal love for other Christians and the Jewish people; and a respect for all persons of good will. He knew personal suffering throughout his life. He experienced the cost of war, genocide and political oppression firsthand. These things never dented his faith. They did the opposite. They led him more deeply into the heart of God."
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Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia
"It was with deep sadness that I received the news of Pope John Paul II's passing. It was also with gratitude to God for the gift of the Holy Father. He will surely be remembered as the greatest spiritual leader of our time. His entire life was an example of how to live out our faith, how to give witness to the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Father gave himself completely in service to Jesus and to the universal Church. In his final years, he suffered from many physical ailments but he never allowed those pains and problems to weigh down his spirit; his suffering was his final gift. He was an example to us all of the value of human life at every stage of existence."
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Archbishop Brendan O'Brien, president of the Canadian bishops' conference
"Through both word and example he taught the strength of faith, the power of prayer, the need to forgive, and the imperative of serving the poor and oppressed of the world. His teachings will continue to guide the Church in the years ahead in its mission of proclaiming the Reign of God."
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Caritas Internationalis
"Throughout his life, Pope John Paul II responded with compassion to the problems of the world, and inspired us with his dedication to the people we serve -- the poor, the hungry, the displaced and all those who cry out for justice and an end to suffering. His words grace the walls of museums and slums alike, inspiring both the wealthy and poor with his message of hope."
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Cardinal George Pell, archbishop of Sydney
"He has been a genuine man of the spirit, a true priest. His example and teaching have encouraged orthodox Catholics everywhere to persevere. I personally can vouch for that. He has inspired thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, into the priesthood and religious life.
"Even in the West he has steadied the ship. If many were still resolved to be irresolute, solid only for drift, there has been no doubt about where he is heading. He has never lacked courage and courage is contagious. History will know him as John Paul the Great. He has earned that distinction."
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Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster
"We have lost a great leader of our modern world. John Paul II was an extraordinary man, one of the greatest popes in the Church's 2,000-year history. We will remember him for his tireless witness to hope, to freedom, and to the dignity of human life. We will remember him for his courage in reaching across the boundaries of race, religion and ideology; we will remember him for his energy, as well as for his courageous endurance of physical suffering right until the end.
"John Paul II was always conscious of the drama of human salvation; he reminded us, tirelessly, of our eternal destiny. He showed, in his own life, how human beings are at their greatest and most free when they are most obedient to God’s will. His was a light that burned most strongly wherever the darkness was deepest. The Church will miss him. The world will miss him. I will miss him."
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Archbishop Sean Brady, archbishop of Armagh and primate of All Ireland
"He was a man of our time, yet not afraid to challenge the culture and values of our age. He gave it reasons for living and reasons for hope. He was also ahead of our time in his message of global solidarity, his vision of a civilization of love among all the people and nations of the world, in his respect for the human person and, to the very moment of his death, in his powerful witness to the Gospel of life. He was in every sense a witness to hope and a champion of life.
"The deep sense of peace and serenity which accompanied him into death, was of course, rooted in his life of frequent prayer and contemplation, particularly his prayer before the blessed sacrament. His deep and intimate relationship with Christ was the source of his great calm and courage in the face of so many challenges, not least the physical challenges of his later years. He often repeated the words of Jesus, 'Do not be afraid.'"
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Italian bishops' conference
"We ask everyone to gather themselves in prayer so that the Pope, who from the beginning of his pontificate invited us to open the doors to Christ, may now receive the embrace of Him, the Lord of life, who he announced in such an indefatigable way to all men and in every corner of the Earth. Our prayer becomes also an _expression of gratitude to God, for the extraordinary gift he made to the Church and the world through the person and teachings of John Paul II."
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Spanish bishops' conference
"We all owe him deep gratitude for his faithful and unconditional dedication to the cause of the Gospel and to the mission received from Our Lord to confirm his brothers in the faith. His abnegated apostolic service became even more evident, if this were possible, in his suffering and sickness. Today, Catholics in the whole world, thanks to his ministry, feel stronger in our faith in Jesus Christ, more inspired by the hope of Glory and more decided in the charity that makes us sons of God and brothers to all men."
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Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community
"As the Servant of the servants of God, Pope John Paul II was a pope of universal vision in his teaching and in his pastoral outreach. He was a Pope for the globalizing world; he proclaimed the universal message of Christ as the source of true hope for humanity. His vision of human dignity -- rooted in the person of Jesus Christ, in whom God lived, suffered, died and rose from the dead -- was inextricably linked to the common good of all of humanity. Through this vision he sought to build bridges between peoples everywhere. He took particular pains to deepen ecumenical understanding between the Christian confessions, as well as to promote and strengthen interfaith relations."
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Mexican bishops' conference
"The bishops of Mexico feel along with the whole Church a profound sorrow for the death of the Holy Father. However, with faith we proclaim with joy the happy passing to God’s embrace. We are also thankful for the grace-filled treasure of this pastor, who from his first visit to our country, unleashed a process of pastoral dynamism that has enormously strengthened us."
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Cardinal Jaime Sin, retired archbishop of Manila, Philippines
"The Church has lost a Father and a Shepherd and I have also lost a brother and a good friend."
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Archbishop Evarist Pinto, archbishop of Karachi, Pakistan
The Pontiff was a "beloved father and kind-hearted pastor, a charismatic and dynamic leader, a champion for justice and human rights, the defender of the poor and the oppressed."
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Bishop Joseph Zen of Hong Kong
"Farewell to a great and beloved world wide spiritual leader. To witness to the truth is the fundamental mission of the Church ... the Holy Father courageously preached the Gospel of life emphasizing the sacredness of marriage and the importance of family. He defended each human life from conception to its natural end. My feeling at this moment is one of deep gratitude and lofty praise to the Lord. He worked marvels through this Pope from far off Poland. Certainly one of his regrets was not having had the chance to visit China. ...
"Dear Holy Father, now that you are with the Father in heaven, bless your flock in China. May the suffering on your deathbed complete your prayers and obtain the grace that the Chinese people may one day know Jesus Christ and be converted to God."
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Cardinal Jaime Ortega, archbishop of Havana
"This is a man who has carried the moral weight of the world for 26 years … turning himself into the only moral reference for humanity in recent years of wars and difficulties."
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Southern African Catholic bishops' conference
"With great sadness we mourn the death of John Paul II, while we are profoundly grateful for the many results that the Lord our God has attained through his tireless efforts to bring people closer to God and one closer to the other."
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What Leaders in Other Faiths Say
"An Extraordinary 'Lived Sermon' for Eastertide"
ROME, APRIL 9, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Accolades for John Paul II came from many non-Catholics, as this sampling shows.
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Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles
"No Pope did more for the Jews."
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New York Board of Rabbis
"We will lovingly remember his historic visits to the Great Synagogue in Rome, a concentration camp in Auschwitz (Poland) and the Western Wall in Jerusalem, as he stood with us in spiritual solidarity. Declaring anti-Semitism a sin against God and humanity, the Pope repeatedly reminded the world that we could never again remain silent while people perish because of their race or religion."
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Rowan Williams, Anglican archbishop of Canterbury
"I think in these past few days, we've seen an extraordinary 'lived sermon' for Eastertide, about facing death with honesty and courage; facing death in the hope of a relationship which is not broken by death but continues beyond it. Pope John Paul showed his character in the way in which he met his death; clearly frustrated, clearly suffering, and yet at every point accepting; facing his frailties and remaining courageous and hopeful. I feel there's a certain appropriateness about the fact that he died within the Easter season -- a time of the Church's year which meant so much to him. It has been a season in which he was able to give a message to the whole of the Christian world, and in fact to the whole human world, that won't be readily forgotten."
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Billy Graham, U.S. evangelist
Pope John Paul II was "unquestionably the most influential voice for morality and peace in the world during the last 100 years. He was convinced that the complex problems of our world are ultimately moral and spiritual in nature, and only Christ can set us free from the shackles of sin and greed and violence."
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Mark Hanson, president of the Lutheran World Federation
"Lutherans will always remember John Paul II as the pope who fostered an unprecedented growth in Lutheran/Roman Catholic relations. Healing the wounds laid bare during the 16th-century Reformation took on new meaning as the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification was signed in 1999. We live in new hope that the Spirit of the Living Christ will continue that work and bring about an even stronger relationship between the two church bodies."
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Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission
"He rallied the captive nations of Eastern Europe to throw off the yoke of Soviet communism. Furthermore, he emerged as one of the most eloquent spokesmen anywhere in the world for religious freedom for all human beings as a universal right, and for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death and everywhere in between."
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The Reverend Frank Griswold, leader of the U.S. Episcopal Church
"Like the householder in the Gospel he was able to bring out of the treasure of his own deep spirit things 'both new and old.' His voice and moral authority gave inspiration and hope to millions well beyond the Roman Catholic Church. His commitment to the unity of the church expressed itself in his personal willingness to meet with representatives of other faith communities and to invite those outside his own tradition to reflect on how the ministry of the Bishop of Rome might be of greater service both in the cause of Christian unity and the well-being of the world."
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Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals
"Pope John Paul II has stood with us strongly all over the free world in defending heterosexual, monogamous marriage and defending the fact that a fetus is a human being."
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Gregorius III Lahham, Greek Melkite patriarch of Damascus
The Pontiff was a "new John the Baptist" because like the original one he was "a voice who cried in the desert to prepare the ways of the Lord; he wiped hypocrisy and sin before our Risen Lord."
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The Dalai Lama
"In spite of increasing age and declining physical health, his relentless efforts to visit different parts of the world and meet the people who lived there to promote harmony and spiritual values, exemplified not only his deep concern but also the courage he brought to fulfilling it."
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Patriarch Alexy II, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church
"Pope John Paul personally, and his works and ideas, have had a strong impact on the world."
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Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians
"Pope John Paul II envisioned the restoration of the unity of the Christians and he worked for its realization."
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Orthodox Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate
"The last days of John Paul II were marked by qualities, which have gained him respect of all people. He endured his sufferings with strong faith, thus making millions of people to admire his courage. I sincerely hope that his memory will serve the cause of building up good relations between our Churches and will be the pledge for overcoming the present difficulties. I pray to the Lord Jesus Christ for the repose of the soul of His Holiness Pope John Paul II."
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Pope Shenouda III, Coptic Church
"I would like to extend to you my most heartfelt sympathies on the death of H.H. Pope John Paul II after he guided the Church throughout 26 years. During this period he was highly respected and honored by the peoples of the whole world. He was also highly praised for his personal qualities and his participation in the ecumenical work and the relationship between the Catholic Church and the rest of the churches of the world."
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Clifton Kirkpatrick, president, World Alliance of Reformed Churches
"We give thanks to God for the impact Pope John Paul II has made in his lifetime as a leader. We give thanks for a ministry in which, as a priest, bishop, and head of the Roman Catholic Church, he sought to bear witness to the Gospel in the contemporary world."
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Catholicos Aram I, World Council of Churches central committee moderator
"His Holiness Pope John Paul II will remain an outstanding figure in the modern history of world Christendom. In fact, his relentless effort to make the Gospel of Christ a living reality in the life of people, his unyielding prophetic witness to make the moral values the guiding principles of human societies, his firm commitment to the cause of Christian unity, his openness to other religions with a clear vision of living together as a reconciled community in the midst of diversities, and his continuous advocacy for justice, human rights and freedom made him an exceptional figure of great achievements. As moderator of the World Council of Churches central committee and as the Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia, I had the privilege to meet His Holiness on different occasions and witnessed the strength of his faith, the depth of his wisdom and the clarity of his vision."
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John Neill, Church of Ireland archbishop of Dublin
"His vision for the healing of the divisions of Christendom was lived out at a difficult time on the ecumenical journey -- when we had passed beyond the euphoria of the friendship arising from Vatican II -- and were at the more difficult stage of looking at not only what unites, but trying to understand somewhat more of what divides. It was often simply the friendship and warmth of John Paul II that allowed differences to remain differences between brothers and sisters in Christ -- family differences."
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Reverend Dr. Keith Clements, general secretary of the Conference of European Churches
"For the churches and peoples of Europe John Paul II was a figure of special significance. As a son of Poland he bore in his own life so much of the most tragic experience of Europe in the twentieth century brought by war and oppression, first under Nazi occupation and then under communist totalitarianism. Equally, under these experiences he embodied the finest spirit of European Christianity in refusing to compromise either his faith or his humanity.
"As a leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland it was he who did so much to inspire the cause of freedom and human rights both in his native country and further afield in Eastern Europe. His place in the history of change in Europe during the last quarter of the 20th century is secure. So too is his record during his long pontificate, of advocating the cause of greater European unity, the building of a 'common European house' in which the Christianity of both east and west has to share."
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Papal Testament: Fate Was in God's Hands
"I Ask Him to Call Me Back When He Himself Wishes"
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 8, 2005 (Zenit.org).- In his last will and testament, John Paul II reflected on life and the moment of death.
The testament, written at various moments of his 26-year pontificate, was published Thursday by the Holy See. The Pope began his reflections in the document as early as March 6, 1979. He added to the testament in 1980, 1982 and finally 2000.
In 1982, the first Polish Pope in history asked that the College of Cardinals attend to proposals for the place of his burial that might be presented by the Church in Poland. But later he clarified that there was no obligation to hold this consultation.
In 2000, he wrote that he hoped Providence would "help me to recognize up to what point I must continue this service to which I was called on Oct. 16, 1978."
The document has virtually no indications regarding his property, as he explained: "I leave no property behind me of which it is necessary to dispose."
"As for the everyday objects that were of use to me, I ask that they be distributed as seems appropriate. My personal notes are to be burned," he added.
He requested that his secretary, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, to take care of these matters and thanked him for "his collaboration and help, so prolonged over the years and so understanding."
"As for the funeral, I repeat the same dispositions as were given by the Holy Father Paul VI: burial in the bare earth, not in a sarcophagus," John Paul II wrote.
The Pope said that every year, at the Lenten spiritual exercises, he re-read his testament and added what he thought was necessary.
He began by putting his death, as he did his pontificate, in the hands of God through the Virgin Mary, with the motto "Totus Tuus ego sum" -- Latin for "I am all yours."
In 2000, he recalled the 1981 attempt on his life and said that the "Lord of life and death himself prolonged my life, in a certain way, he gave it to me again. From that moment, it belonged to him even more."
"I ask him to call me back when he himself wishes," he wrote, referring to the hour of his death. "I also hope that, as long as I am called to fulfill the Petrine service in the Church, the Mercy of God will give me the necessary strength for this service."
When John Paul II wrote these words, the spiritual exercises were being preached by then Vietnamese Archbishop François-Xavier Nguyên Van Thuán, who moved the Pope with his testimony of suffering in his country's Communist prisons.
The Holy Father's last entries turn to Poland, his parents, his brother, his sister (whom he never knew as she died before he was born), his parish in Wadowice, his school friends and university, and "the people who were entrusted to me in a special way by the Lord."
"To all I want to say just one thing: 'May God reward you.'" And then he repeated in Latin Jesus' last words: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."
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World Bids a Farewell to John Paul II
"A Priest to the Last," Cardinal Ratzinger Says at Funeral Mass
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 8, 2005 (ZENIT.org).- An ocean of humanity, from presidents to pilgrims to bishops, bid an emotional farewell to Pope John Paul II in a funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square.
Millions around Rome, and countless hundreds of millions worldwide, followed the more than two-and-a-half hour Mass today via television and radio.
Applause erupted as the Pope's plain cypress coffin, adorned with a cross and an "M" for the Blessed Virgin Mary, was brought out from St. Peter's Basilica and placed on a carpet in front of the altar. The Book of the Gospels was placed on the coffin.
After the Mass ended, bells tolled and 12 pallbearers presented the coffin to the crowd one last time, and then carried it on their shoulders back inside the basilica for burial -- again to sustained applause from dignitaries from 138 nations and the crowds in the square chanting "santo subito," a Italian phrase meaning "sainthood at once."
The Pope was buried at 2:20 p.m. (8:20 a.m. EST) in the grotto under the basilica, attended by prelates and members of the Pontifical Household, the Vatican said.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, dean of the College of Cardinals, presided at the Mass and referred to John Paul II in a homily that traced the Pontiff's life from his days as a factory worker in Nazi-occupied Poland to his final days as the head of the Catholic Church.
The cardinal choked up as he recalled one of John Paul II's last public appearances -- when he blessed the faithful from his apartment window on Easter.
"We can be sure that our beloved Pope is standing today at the window of the Father's house, that he sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father," Cardinal Ratzinger said as he pointed up to the third-floor window above the square.
"Today we bury his remains in the earth as a seed of immortality -- our hearts are full of sadness, yet at the same time of joyful hope and profound gratitude," he said.
The cardinal put John Paul II's pontificate, and life, in perspective.
"'Rise, Let Us Be on Our Way!' is the title of his next-to-last book," he said. "'Rise, let us be on our way!' -- with these words he roused us from a lethargic faith, from the sleep of the disciples of both yesterday and today. 'Rise, let us be on our way!' he continues to say to us even today.
"The Holy Father was a priest to the last, for he offered his life to God for his flock and for the entire human family, in a daily self-oblation for the service of the Church, especially amid the sufferings of his final months. And in this way he became one with Christ, the Good Shepherd who loves his sheep."
The cardinal continued: "Our Pope -- and we all know this -- never wanted to make his own life secure, to keep it for himself; he wanted to give of himself unreservedly, to the very last moment, for Christ and thus also for us."
"The love of Christ was the dominant force in the life of our beloved Holy Father. Anyone who ever saw him pray, who ever heard him preach, knows that. Thanks to his being profoundly rooted in Christ, he was able to bear a burden which transcends merely human abilities: that of being the shepherd of Christ's flock, his universal Church," said Cardinal Ratzinger.
The funeral ceremony began early in the morning in Rome when Archbishop Piero Marini, master of pontifical liturgical celebrations, read the "rogito," the document which records the life and works of John Paul II.
Archbishop Marini and Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, the private secretary of John Paul II, covered the Pontiff's face with a white silk veil.
Archbishop Marini then placed in the casket a small bag of medallions, and a lead tube containing the "rogito."
The casket was sealed and carried by the pallbearers into St. Peter's Square for the funeral Mass.
At the end of the funeral, the body of the Pope began its final journey into the basilica, through the "door of death" on the left side of the main altar, and taken to the downstairs grotto -- the location of the tomb of St. Peter -- while the crowd applauded and chanted.
The coffin was sealed and wrapped with three silk ribbons before being placed in a zinc coffin, which was hermetically sealed.
The zinc coffin was then placed in an oak coffin and interred under a marble slab, inscribed with John Paul II in Latin. The tomb is in the spot left vacant by John XXIII, whose body was transferred to a Vatican chapel in 2000, when he was beatified, the first step towards sainthood.
His grave is a few meters from the tomb of the Apostle Peter, next to Paul VI, and in front of John Paul I.
The funeral begins a nine-day period of mourning that will last until April 16, two days before the first day of the conclave, April 18.
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Funeral Mass to Aim for a Note of Hope
Rites to Have a Focus on Resurrection
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 7, 2005 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II's funeral Mass on Friday will have the character of resurrection, in keeping with the revised rite he entrusted to the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff.
A fruit of this revision was the "Ordo Romani Pontificis," including the funeral rites for the Roman Pontiff, which must be followed faithfully, as established in the apostolic constitution "Universi Dominici Gregis."
Approved by the Holy Father, the ritual underlines "the paschal character of the death of the disciple of Christ," Archbishop Piero Marini, master of pontifical liturgical celebrations, clarifies in the volume.
The Ordo's general premises explain: "In the funeral rites the Church manifests her faith in the victory of the risen Christ over sin and death."
"This faith is expressed in a particular way in the obsequies of the Roman Pontiff, who because of the ministry he exercises in the Church, has confirmed all pastors and faithful in the faith," the text states.
The Church "raises to the Father, Lord of life and death, an intense prayer of thanksgiving, for the good that the deceased Pontiff realized in favor of the Church and humanity, for the repose of his soul, and of supplication, so that he will be received by the Lord in his dwelling of light and peace together with all the saints," explains the Ordo.
The ritual also includes prayers for the Church that, "deprived of the Roman Pontiff," she will abandon herself confidently "to Christ, Supreme Pastor, who promises to her his everlasting presence and assistance."
"Due honor" is rendered "to the body of the deceased Supreme Pontiff" who, "with the sacraments of Christian initiation, became a temple of the Holy Spirit, and with the sacrament of Episcopal Ordination was totally dedicated to the service of the People of God," especially because of "faith in eternal life and in the resurrection of the flesh," note the premises of the ritual.
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9 Days of Special Masses for Pope Planned
Archbishop Marini Publishes Program
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 7, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Archbishop Pietro Marini, master of liturgical celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, published the program for the nine days of official mourning for John Paul II.
"According to an ancient custom, for nine consecutive days there are special Eucharistic celebrations for the repose of the soul of the deceased Roman Pontiff, starting with the funeral Mass, which is determined by the congregation of cardinals," explained the prelate, clarifying the meaning of these days called "novendiali."
"Each day the celebration is open to everyone," the archbishop said. "It is, however, entrusted each day to a different group, taking into account that group's links with the Roman Pontiff. This variety of the congregation shows in a certain way both the milieu of the Supreme Pastor as well as the universality of the Church of Rome."
"The funeral Mass for the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II will take place on April 8 at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Square," he said, "whereas in the Vatican basilica, from the 9th to the 16th of April, the 'novendiali' celebrations for the repose of the soul of the deceased Pope, will continue in the following manner." He listed:
Day 1: Funeral Mass
Day 2: Saturday, at 5 p.m. For the faithful of Vatican City: The concelebration will be presided over by Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, archpriest of the patriarchal Vatican basilica.
Day 3: Sunday, 5 p.m. For the Church of Rome. Mass presided over by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, and concelebrated by the clergy of Rome.
Day 4: Monday, April 11, 5 p.m. For the chapters of the patriarchal basilicas. The concelebration will be presided by Cardinal Bernard Law, retired archbishop of Boston and archpriest of the patriarchal Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Day 5: Tuesday, April 12, 5 p.m. Cappella Papale. Mass to be presided over by Cardinal Eugênio de Araújo Sales, retired archbishop of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, proto-priest of the College of Cardinals.
Day 6: Wednesday, April 13, 5 p.m. For the Roman Curia. Concelebration will be presided over by Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, substitute for General Affairs of the Vatican Secretariat of State.
Day 7: Thursday, April 14, 5 p.m. For the Eastern Churches. Divine Liturgy in the Eastern Rite to be presided over by Cardinal Pierre Nasrallah Sfeir, patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites.
Day 8: Friday, April 15, 5 p.m. For members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Mass presided over by Archbishop Piergiorgio Silvano Nesti, secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Day 9: Saturday, April 16, Cappella Papale. The concelebration will be presided by Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estévez, retired prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, proto-deacon of the College of Cardinals.
All cardinals are invited to concelebrate in the Cappelle Papali on April 8, 12 and 16.
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1920 - 2005
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Death of Pope John Paul II
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| EXCERPT FROM MESSAGE FROM POPE JOHN PAUL II: During this year dedicated to the Eucharist, may the sons and daughters of the Church find in the supreme sacrament of love the wellspring of all communion: communion with Jesus the Redeemer and, in him, with every human being. By Christ’s death and resurrection, made sacramentally present in each Eucharistic celebration, we are saved from evil and enabled to do good. Through the new life which Christ has bestowed on us, we can recognize one another as brothers and sisters, despite every difference of language, nationality and culture. In a word, by sharing in the one bread and the one cup, we come to realize that we are “God’s family” and that together we can make our own effective contribution to building a world based on the values of justice, freedom and peace. If you would like to read the entire document, please go to www.vatican.va and check English, then go through the link entitled “Latest” and request the document “Message for the 38th World Day for Peace 2005”. |
