POPE JOHN PAUL II BEATIFICATION EDITION FOUR PAGE SOUVENIR, THIS WEEK’S SCO INSIDE
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IAN DUNN reports on the Beatification of Pope John Paul II at St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, a rite watched by a million people in Rome and billions worldwide
OHN Paul II is blessed because of his Faith, a strong, generous and apostolic faith,” Pope Benedict XVI said last Sunday just minutes Prayer, reflection set tone of after formally Beatifying his Efforts of Pope Benedict XVI ‘Jpredecessor. More than a million pilgrims erupted in cheers Vigil before Beatification Rite and applause that rose up from St Peter’s Square, recognised at Thanksgiving passing along the Via della Conciliazione and MORE than 200,000 people Following this, Cardinal Stanislaw side streets to the Circus Maximus, where POPE John Paul II’s longtime (Above) Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz attended a moving candlelit vigil Dziwisz, the Pope’s old friend and thousands of people followed the celebration on secretary used the official (right) speaks at the start of the Mass of the night before the Beatification secretary from Poland, addressed the video screens, when Pope Benedict XVI read the Thanksgiving Mass the day after Thanksgiving for the Beatification of Pope John Paul II. The Mass was celebrated by of John Paul II in Rome’s Circus pilgrims. formula of Beatification. the Beatification to thank Pope Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (left). Cardinal Maximus. “The Pope, who we had committed Benedict XVI for moving so Dziwisz (below) praying at the new tomb The ceremony focused both on the to the ground just six years ago, is ardinal Agostino Vallini, papal vicar for rapidly to Beatify the late Pope. of Blessed John Paul II in St Peter’s life of the late Polish Pope and his today restored to us, ‘Blessed’ in Rome, petitioned the Pope by saying, ‘I Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz Basilica devotion to Our Lady and the Rosary. Heaven,” the Cardinal Archbishop of Chumbly ask Your Holiness to inscribe the addressed a crowd of around 60,000 Two of his closest friends and the nun Krakow said. venerable servant of God John Paul II, Pope, including 30 cardinals, 150 bishops whose miraculous cure enabled the “If today he is proclaimed a Blessed, among the number of Blesseds.’ and 800 priests at the special sufferings to Him and the Church he Beatification spoke to the vast crowd it is because he was already holy Pope Benedict responded by saying that after thanksgiving Mass in St Peter’s Square gave all of us a last, great lesson about about their memories of Pope John during his life, and also for us who consulting many bishops and members of the for Sunday’s Beatification of the what it means to be human, and Paul before Pope Benedict XVI closed knew him. To be with John Paul II faithful and after having the Congregation for Polish-born Pope. abandonment in God’s arms.” the ceremony after joining those meant to love his silence. He knew Saints’ Causes study the matter, ‘the venerable The Beatification, the fastest in The cardinal also said that John Paul assembled on a live video link from how to immerse himself in God, servant of God, John Paul II, Pope, henceforth modern history, came six years after II intensified interreligious bonds, the Vatican. everywhere, in all conditions: even will be called blessed’ and his feast will be calls of Santo Subito or Sainthood saying ‘he was a true man, because he when he studied, or was surrounded by October 22, the anniversary of the inauguration Immediately erupted during John was inseparably linked to He who is Testimonies people, he did so with the greatest of his Pontificate in 1978. Paul’s 2005 funeral. Truth, He was a man fully alive because After the service began with hymns, ease.” The crowds burst into sustained applause, “We express gratitude to the Holy he was filled with Christ who is life.’ prayers and videos recalling the late The cardinal’s testimony led into the many people cried and brass players intoned a Father Benedict XVI for the gift of the John Paul II, Cardinal Bertone said, Pope’s life, Fr Joaquin Navarro-Valls, singing of the hymn Totus Tuus, which fanfare as soon as the Pope finished reading the Blessed through his Faith Beatification of his predecessor and for ‘taught us how we are to live Faith and the former director of the Holy See was composed for the 50th anniversary proclamation.A smiling portrait of Karol Wojtyla, the fact that he keeps alive the memory to defend Christian values, to witness Press Office during the soon-to-be of the priestly ordination of John Paul from a 1995 photograph, was uncovered at that of John Paul II,” the Polish cardinal the Faith with courage and coherence, Blessed’s Pontificate, gave an address. II which brought the first part of the moment on a large banner that hung from the said, speaking beneath a large colour living the beatitudes in our daily lives. “When, during the funeral of John evening to an end. main loggia of St Peter’s Basilica. A tapestry featuring an image of Pope John Paul II photo of a vibrant John Paul. Today we thank the Lord for giving us (above) was unveiled on the facade of St Peter’s Paul II, I saw the banners with the Cardinal Dziwisz also recalled that a shepherd like him.’ Santo Subito Rosary Basilica during his Mass of Beatification. (Far left) slogan (above), I thought: ollowing the Beatification, Polish Sr Pope Benedict XVI prays at the coffin of Pope John John Paul had ‘shed his blood for the At the end of the Beatification ‘they arrive late, as one is a saint in The second part began with the singing Tobiana Sobodka, who ran Pope John Paul II. (Left) Polish Sister Tobiana Sobodka, left and cause of Christ’ in the same square 30 weekend, the coffin of Blessed John life, or never will be’— such was John of the hymn for John Paul II, Open the FPaul’s household, and French Sr Marie Sister Marie Simon-Pierre place a relic of the late years ago, when he was the victim of a Paul II, which had been exposed for Paul II,” Fr Navarro-Valles said. “I Doors to Christ, followed by an Simon-Pierre, whose cure from Parkinson’s pope near the altar during his Beatification Mass 1981 assassination attempt. veneration in the front of St Peter’s learned much from him regarding the address by Cardinal Agostino Vallini, disease was accepted as the miracle that paved The Mass, led by the Vatican Basilica, was moved to its final resting human person, in which he saw the Vicar of Rome Diocese. the way for his beatification, carried a relic to secretary, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, place in the chapel of St Sebastian image of God, and this was central to After this, the Rosary was prayed, Pope Benedict and then to a stand near the altar. began with a procession in St Peter’s within the basilica. his Pontificate: respect for the following the Mysteries of Light, The relic was a clear glass vial of Pope John One of the thousands of Poles present was Fr Square of bishops and cardinals in gold The coffin was moved on Monday transcendent character of the person, through a live link with five Marian Paul’s blood held in a reliquary of silver olive Jozef Maciag, who said he wanted to thank John and white vestments. One cleric night after the basilica had been closed who is at risk of being treated as a sanctuaries. Each sanctuary prayed for branches. Reading a brief biography of the late Paul for his role in helping bring down carried aloft a relic, a vial of blood to the public. Cardinal Angelo thing, as an object. And this respect is a particular intention and videos of the Pope, Cardinal Vallini said he ‘had lived through Communism, and for giving him the inspiration taken from John Paul for medical tests Comastri, the archpriest of the basilica, something that, once experienced messages and homilies of John Paul II the tragic experience of two dictatorships.’ to devote his own life to God. shortly before his death. A key feature presided at a short ceremony as the alongside someone like him, one can related to each intention were shown Nazism and Communism, ‘survived an “I came here to thank God for the Pope’s of Beatification ceremonies, the relic coffin was placed below the altar of the never forget... Thank you, John Paul II, before the prayer. The sanctuary of assassination attempt on May 13 1981 and, in his ministry, which touched my own life,” Fr will be available for the Faithful to chapel. Among the other prelates who for the masterpiece that, with the help Lagiewniki in Krakow, Poland prayed later years, suffered grave physical hardship due Maciag said. venerate. In his homily, Cardinal participated in the ceremony were of God, you made of your life!” for the youth; the sanctuary of to the progression of his illness. However, his In addition, millions of people in John Paul II’s Bertone spoke at length about how the Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the former My John Paul, a video made by the Kawekamo in Bugando, Tanzania, for overwhelming optimism, based on his trust in homeland, Poland, watched the Beatification Pope bore the illness that afflicted him Secretary of State; Cardinal Bertone; University Pastoral Care Office of the the family; the sanctuary of Our Lady divine providence, drove him to constantly look Mass live on their televisions. Despite the rain in later life with great courage. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Vicariate of Rome, then preceded the of Lebanon in Harissa, Lebanon, for to the horizons of hope.’ that affected much of Poland on Sunday, many “We all witnessed how everything former prefect of the Congregation for testimonial of Sr Marie Simon-Pierre, evangelisation; the Basilica of Our stood under umbrellas in squares and parks to that was impressive from a human Bishops; and Cardinal Dziwisz. the French nun whose miraculous cure Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, ope Benedict said that even at the moment watch on specially erected large TV screens. standpoint was taken from him, his The final resting place of the newly paved the way for the process of Mexico, for hope and peace among of John Paul II’s death people ‘perceived Prior to the start of the Mass of Beatification physical strength, his bodily Beatified Pope is marked with a simple Beatification for the late Pontiff. nations; and the Sanctuary of Fatima in Pthe fragrance of his sanctity and in any in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI processed to St expression, his ability to move, and marble tombstone, inscribed Beatus “I had suffered from Parkinson’s Portugal, for the Church. number of ways God’s people showed their Peter’s Square in an open-top Popemobile in even his speech,” the cardinal said. Ioannes Paulus PP II. The chapel of St disease from 2001,” she said. “Since At the end of the ceremony, Pope veneration for him. For this reason, with all due glorious sunshine, moving through the huge “He knew that his bodily weakness Sebastian is located near the main door my cure, my life is normal, What the Benedict, in a live link from the respect for the Church’s canonical norms, I crowd. Pope Benedict wore the chasuble and only made Christ’s work shine forth all of the basilica, just past Lord has caused me to live through the Vatican, recited a prayer to the Virgin wanted his cause of Beatification to move mitre frequently worn by Pope John Paul II the more clearly and by offering his Michelangelo’s Pieta. intercession of John Paul II is a great Mary and said: “Help us always to forward with reasonable haste.’ during his 26-year Pontificate from October 22 mystery, which is difficult to explain account for the hope that is in us, with During his own pontificate Pope John Paul 1978 to April 2 2005. with words. From the moment I trust in the goodness of humanity Beatified 1338 people and Canonised 482, more The night before, thousands of people spent a accepted that the entire congregation created by God in His image and in the than all of his predecessors combined. The chilly, damp night camped out near the Vatican was praying for John Paul II's Father's love. Teach us to renew the Beatification of Pope John Paul just six years and fficial delegations from more than 80 of the Knesset, who was saved during the government allowed him to enter through Rome in an attempt to find a place in St Peter’s Square intercession for my recovery, I always world from within: in the depths of a month after his death in 2005 is the fastest countries, the European Union and the Holocaust by a Belgian Catholic family. airport. Vatican officials confirmed that while he when the gates were scheduled to open at 5.30 said that I would go to the very end so silence and prayer, in the joy of Beatification in some 500 years. OPalestine Liberation Organisation sat Prior to the celebration, Mr Peled remarked had not been invited, he was entitled to attend as am for the 10 am Mass. The crowds were so large that our prayers might be heard. Yes, to fraternal love, in the unique After the Mass, Pope Benedict went into St alongside the altar in front of St Peter’s Basilica that the event was ‘especially significant.’ John a head of state. that police began letting people in at 2am, the end so that John Paul II might be fruitfulness of the Cross.” The Holy Peter’s Basilica and knelt in prayer for four for the Beatification. Paul II, he said, ‘was born in a period in which according to news reports. recognised as blessed and a saint of his Father then gave his apostolic blessing. minutes before Blessed John Paul’s casket, which Representing Italy were President Giorgio one breathed an atmosphere of publicly approved he international dignitaries were dwarfed Thibaut Cappe, a 23-year-old from Paris, got time, to the end for the Church, to the A ‘White Night’ of prayer was was set in front of the main altar. After the Pope Napolitano and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi; anti-Semitism’ but ‘he rebelled and challenged in numbers and enthusiasm by the tens of up at 3 am and managed to find a spot half way end so that the world might believe, to observed in eight churches in Rome left, the concelebrating cardinals filed up to the representing Poland was President Bronislaw those who wanted to enslave the human race.’ Tthousand of Poles who flooded into Rome up the boulevard leading to St Peter’s Square. He the end so that life might be respected after the Vigil, offering the Sacrament wooden casket, touching it lightly and kissing it. Komorowski; José Manuel Durão represented the A more controversial guest who attended the to celebrate the Beatification of ‘their Pope.’ said Pope John Paul ‘is an example of simplicity and that all who work in service of life of Reconciliation to pilgrims through The Vatican later opened the basilica to the European Commission. The Queen Elizabeth II ceremony was the 87-year-old president of Throughout the service St Peter’s Square was a in the way of being a Catholic. It’s not always might be fortified.” until dawn. general public with an estimated quarter of a was represented by the Duke of Gloucester. Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe. Although there is a sea of red and white flags and banners, the easy to be a Catholic in our world. He was doing million pilgrims viewing it that day alone. Representing Israel was Yossi Peled, a member ban on him travelling to EU countries, the Italian national colours of Poland. it in a way that was understandable for everyone.’ SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR ONLY NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER SEE PAGE 7 FOR DETAILS
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