Pope Benedict Beatifies Pope John Paul ‘Because of His Faith’ by Cindy Wooden II,” He Said
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John Paul II beatification: special report Catholic sanFrancisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper (CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING) (CNS PHOTO/PAUL People pack St. Peter’s Square and the Via della Conciliazione leading up to the square during the beatification of Pope John Paul II May 1 at the Vatican. The late Polish pon- tiff moved a step closer to sainthood during a joyous ceremony that drew more than 1 million people. Above, Polish Sister Tobiana Sobodka, left, who ran Pope John Paul II’s household, and French Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, whose cure from Parkinson’s disease was accepted as the miracle that paved the way for his beatification, place a relic of the late pope near the altar during his beatification Mass. (CNS PHOTO/MASSIMO SESTINI, ITALIAN NATIONAL POLICE VIA CATHOLIC PRESS PHOTO) POLICE VIA CATHOLIC NATIONAL SESTINI, ITALIAN (CNS PHOTO/MASSIMO Pope Benedict beatifies Pope John Paul ‘because of his faith’ By Cindy Wooden II,” he said. As prefect of rations had to be made for the official Mass the Congregation for the More beatification news of thanksgiving for the beatification May 2. VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Doctrine of the Faith from St. Mary’s Cathedral Mass: Worshipers represent- Thousands of people spent a chilly, Benedict XVI beatified his predecessor 1982 until his election in ing the pope’s native Poland and 18 other nations damp night camped out near the Vatican John Paul II with a tribute to the Polish 2005, Pope Benedict said celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving at St. Mary’s in an attempt to find a place in St. Peter’s pope’s “strong, generous and apostolic he worked at the pope’s Cathedral (Page JP2). Square when the gates were scheduled to faith,” as a crowd of more than 1 million side “and came to revere “Man of sorrows”: The pope’s true holiness emerged open at 5:30 a.m. for the 10 a.m. Mass. people gathered in and around St. Peter’s him.” not in his world-traveling hour of triumph but in his The crowds were so large that police began Square. “His example of prayer suffering, says journalist Sandro Magister (JP2). letting people in at 2 a.m., according to John Paul II’s strengths and the “fra- continually impressed and news reports. grance of sanctity” perceived by many even edified me: he remained An impressionistic word portrait: The pope’s intel- Thibaut Cappe, a 23-year-old from at the moment of his death in 2005 merited deeply united to God even ligence, humor and physicality emerge in memories Paris, got up at 3 a.m. and managed to find a prompt review of his cause for beatifica- amid the many demands from CSF readers who encountered him (JP3). a spot half way up the boulevard leading to tion, Pope Benedict said. of his ministry,” the pope Touching the Incarnation: Could it be that even St. Peter’s Square. He said Pope John Paul “What the newly elected pope asked of said. in death, Father David Schunk writes, that John “is an example of simplicity in the way of everyone, he was himself the first to do: “Today his name is Paul could give us an example of being fully alive? being a Catholic. It’s not always easy to be a Society, culture, political and economic added to the host of (CSF cover). Catholic in our world. He was doing it in a systems he opened up to Christ, turning those whom he proclaimed way that was understandable for everyone.” back with the strength of a titan — a saints and blesseds during Alongside the altar in front of St. strength which came to him from God — the almost 27 years of his pontificate,” the respect for the church’s canonical norms, I Peter’s Basilica, priority seating was given a tide which appeared irreversible,” Pope pope said in his homily. wanted his cause of beatification to move to official delegations from more than 80 Benedict said in his homily at John Paul Pope John Paul during his pontificate forward with reasonable haste.” countries, the European Union and the II’s Mass of beatification May 1. beatified 1,338 people and canonized After the Mass, Pope Benedict went into Palestine Liberation Organization. The More than 1 million people were gath- 482 — more than all of his predecessors St. Peter’s Basilica and knelt in prayer for United States was represented by Miguel ered in and around the Vatican and in front combined. The beatification of Pope John four minutes before Blessed John Paul’s Diaz, the ambassador to the Vatican, and by of large video screens in several parts of Paul just six years and a month after his casket, which was set in front of the main his predecessors, Francis Rooney and Jim the city, Italian police said. Many had per- death in 2005 was the fastest beatification altar. After the pope left, the concelebrating Nicholson. King Albert and Queen Paola sonal stories about seeing Pope John Paul in some 500 years. cardinals filed up to the wooden casket, of Belgium led the list of royalty present or even meeting him, and Pope Benedict Pope Benedict said that even at the touching it lightly and kissing it. and 16 heads of state attended, including ended his homily at the Mass sharing his moment of his death people “perceived the Eventually, the Vatican opened the Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski own personal story. “I would like to thank fragrance of his sanctity and in any number basilica to the general public and planned to and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. God for the gift of having worked for of ways God’s people showed their venera- keep it open either until the faithful stopped Valeria Buonpastore, who is from many years with Blessed Pope John Paul tion for him. For this reason, with all due coming to pay their respects or until prepa- BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH, page JP2 Young and old remember Pope John Paul as spiritual model By John Thavis The video set the evening’s tone of remembrance, and it was followed by a ROME (CNS) — With songs, videos, torchlight procession to an image of Mary, testimonials and prayers, Catholics of evoking the late pope’s special devotion to every age and many countries gathered the mother of Jesus. The vigil featured a in Rome to remember Pope John Paul II live satellite link-up to five Marian sanc- on the eve of his beatification. tuaries around the world, including the “I feel him present here in the Circus pope’s former Archdiocese of Krakow, Maximus,” the pope’s former secretary, Poland. Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Pope Benedict XVI closed the event Krakow told the crowd in Rome’s ancient with a prayer to Mary and a blessing, racetrack April 30. “I feel him returning telecast live from the papal apartment at tonight.” the Vatican. The vigil began with a two-minute The crowd on a wet evening in the video clip of Pope John Paul talking to Circus Maximus was small at first but young people in 2000, struggling at first swelled to an estimated 200,000, many Pilgrims attend a vigil on the eve of the beatification at the to find the words and then bantering eas- of whom planned to pray the entire night ancient Circus Maximus in Rome April 30. ily, to the delight of the crowd. YOUNG AND OLD, page JP3 JP2 Catholic San Francisco May 6, 2011 (PHOTOS BY JOSE LUIS AGUIRRE/CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO) BY JOSE LUIS AGUIRRE/CATHOLIC (PHOTOS Archdiocese celebrates beatification A Mass in thanksgiving for the beatification of Pope John Paul II was held at St. Mary’s Cathedral May 1, spon- sored by area Polish organizations and others. Preceding the Mass was a “procession of nations” representing the pope’s native Poland and 18 other countries. From left, Jaime Martinez, a parishioner at Mission Dolores, is pic- tured in the costume he wore when he was among folk dancers who greeted the pope in El Salvador in 1983; chil- dren from the Polish School in Union City and the Pope John Paul II Polish School in Walnut Creek process into the Mass; and Mass celebrant Archbishop John R. Quinn, emeritus archbishop of San Francisco, greets Elliot and Evelyn Andrade from the John Paul II Polish School. “John Paul II is a contemporary witness of genuine holiness,” and his beatification is a “powerful statement that God continues to work in our time,” said Archbishop Quinn, who hosted the pope during his 1987 visit to San Francisco. Archbishop Quinn’s homily is posted at catholic-sf.org. called Christian, to belong to the church, to a reliquary of silver olive branches. Because of his faith . speak of the Gospel. Reading a brief biography of the late pope, ■ Continued from page JP1 “In a word: he helped us not to fear the Cardinal Vallini said he “had lived through truth, because truth is the guarantee of lib- the tragic experience of two dictatorships” Charlotte, N.C., said Pope John Paul “tran- erty,” the pope said. — Nazism and communism — “survived an scended nationalities. He was universal, that’s Pope Benedict read the formula of beati- assassination attempt on 13 May 1981 and, what made him so great. He was loved by fication at the beginning of the liturgy after in his later years, suffered grave physical people of other nations, religions. A lot of my Cardinal Agostino Vallini, papal vicar for hardship due to the progression of his illness.