Subject: VISnews 110501
Organization: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 80
ENGLISH
SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2011
SUMMARY 30 APRIL - 1 MAY:
- Vigil Preparation for Beatification of John Paul II
- Rite of Beatification
- Benedict Proclaims John Paul II a Blessed
- Greetings to Participants at Beatification
___________________________________________________________
VIGIL PREPARATION FOR BEATIFICATION OF JOHN PAUL II
VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2011 (VIS) - Over 200,000 people attended the vigil =
in
preparation for the beatification of John Paul II. It began at 8:00pm in
Rome's Circo Massimo with a video recalling the Jubilee Year of 2000 and =
the
song "Jesus Christ, You Are My Life", which was performed by the Choir =
of
the Diocese of Rome and the Orchestra of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory, =
led
by Msgr. Marco Frisina.
Following that, 30 youth from Rome's parishes and diocesan =
chaplaincies
placed lighted candles before a copy of the icon of Mary Salus Populi
Romani, the patroness of the city. Then a brief video was shown =
recalling
the final months of John Paul II's pontificate, a time marked by his
suffering.
After the performance of the Polish song, O Mother of Mercy, Joaquin
Navarro-Valls, the former director of the Holy See Press Office during =
the
soon-to-be Blessed's pontificate, gave an address.
"When, during the funeral of John Paul II, I saw the banners with the
slogan 'Saint Now', I thought: 'they arrive late, as one is a saint in =
life,
or never will be'. And such was John Paul II", said the director of the =
Holy
See Press Office from 1984 to 2006. "For a Christian, to pray is a duty =
yet
also the fruit of conviction: for John Paul II it was a necessity, he =
was
unable to live without prayer. To see him pray was to see a person =
engaged
in conversation with God... he filled his prayer with the needs of =
others...
He received thousands of messages from all over the world. I saw him on =
his
knees for hours in his chapel with these messages in his hands. ...Take =
one,
leave another... they were the theme of his conversations with God. I =
don't
think any space remained in his prayer for himself, that he ever prayed =
for
'his own needs'. .. I learned much from him regarding the human person, =
in
which he saw the image of God, and this was central to his pontificate:
respect for the transcendent character of the person, who is at risk of
being treated as a thing, as an object. And this respect is something =
that,
once experienced alongside someone like him, one can never forget... =
Thank
you, John Paul II, for the masterpiece that, with the help of God, you =
made
of your life!"
"My John Paul", a video made by the University Pastoral Care Office of =
the
Vicariate of Rome preceded the testimonial of Sr. Marie Simon-Pierre, =
the
French nun whose miraculous cure paved the way for the process of
beatification.
"I had suffered from Parkinson's disease from 2001", she said, "and the
clinical signs of the illness worsened in the weeks after John Paul II's
death. On the afternoon of 2 June 2005 I asked the Mother Superior Sr. =
Marie
Thomas to meet with another nun who could take over the responsibilities =
of
the Catholic Maternity services because I didn't have the strength, I =
was
exhausted ... The Mother Superior listened attentively ... reminding me =
that
all of the order's communities were praying for my healing, invoking the
intercession of John Paul II ... They were hoping for a miracle that =
could
help contribute to the cause for the beatification of this pope who had =
been
so important to our institute. I was cured during the night between the
second and third of June of that year (2005). During the night I awoke =
with
a start and went to our community's chapel to pray before the Most Holy
Sacrament. A great peace came over me, a sense of well-being ... Later, =
I
joined the community to pray lauds and receive the Eucharist ... I had =
to
walk for about 50 meters. It was then that I realized that my left arm,
which had been paralyzed because of the illness, was beginning to move. =
It
has been six years since I've received any treatment. Since my cure, my =
life
is normal ... What the Lord has caused me to live through the =
intercession
of John Paul II is a great mystery, which is difficult to explain with =
words
... From the moment I accepted that the entire congregation was praying =
for
John Paul II's intercession for my recovery, I always said that I would =
go
to the very end so that our prayers might be heard. Yes, to the end so =
that
John Paul II might be recognized as blessed and a saint of his time, to =
the
end for the Church, to the end so that the world might believe, to the =
end
so that life might be respected and that all who work in service of life
might be fortified".
Following this, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz addressed the pilgrims:
"The Pope, who we had committed to the ground just six years ago, is =
today
restored to us, 'blessed' in Heaven" said the Cardinal Archbishop of =
Krakow.
"And so we can also officially, communally, invoke him, invoke his
intercession, praise God through him... If today he is proclaimed a =
Blessed,
it is because he was already holy during his life, and also for us who =
knew
him. ... Most of the time spent in his company was passed in silence, as
this was the attitude he preferred. To be with John Paul II meant to =
love
his silence. To collaborate with him, to be his secretary, meant above =
all
guaranteeing his living space, his autonomy, protecting his freedom, =
which
primarily meant space and time for God... John Paul II loved God. He =
sought
Him, he never tired of being with Him. He knew how to immerse himself in
God, everywhere, in all conditions: even when he studied, or was =
surrounded
by people, he did so with the greatest ease".
=20
The cardinal's testimony led into the singing of the hymn "Totus =
Tuus",
which was composed for the 50th anniversary of the priestly ordination =
of
John Paul II. This brought the first part of the evening to an end.
The second part began with the singing of the hymn for John Paul II, =
"Open
the Doors to Christ", followed by an address by Cardinal Agostino =
Vallini,
Vicar of the Diocese of Rome.
"Even though it has been six years," said the bishop, "since the death =
of
the great Pope-Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the universal Church for 27
years-his memory is particularly vibrant. We feel veneration, affection,
admiration, and deep gratitude for the beloved pontiff. We, above all,
remember his witness of faith: a convinced and strong faith, free from =
fear
or compromises, true until his last breath, forged by trails, fatigue, =
and
illness, whose beneficent influence has spread throughout the Church,
indeed, throughout the world. His witness, through his apostolic =
travels,
inspired millions of men and women of all races and cultures. ... He was
witness to the tragic age of big ideologies, totalitarian regimes, and =
from
their passing John Paul II embraced the harsh suffering, marked by =
tension
and contradictions, of the transition of the modern age toward a new =
phase
of history, showing constant concern that the human person be its
protagonist. With his gaze fixed on Christ, the Redeemer of humanity, he
believed in humanity and showed his openness, trust, and closeness. He =
loved
the human person, pushing us to develop in ourselves the potential of =
faith
to live as free persons, cooperating in the realization of a more just =
and
caring humanity, as workers for peace and builders of hope. ... In his
extraordinary energy of love for humanity he loved, with a kind and =
tender
love, all those 'wounded by life', as he called the poor, the sick, the
nameless, and those excluded a priori-but he had a particular love for =
the
youth. His calls for the World Youth Days had the purpose of making =
youth
into the protagonists of their own future, becoming builders of history. =
The
remembrance of our beloved pontiff, prophet of hope, should not mean a
return to the past for us, but let us make the most of his human and
spiritual heritage; let it be an impetus to look forward."
After this, the Rosary was prayed, following the Mysteries of Light,
through a live link with five Marian sanctuaries. Each sanctuary prayed =
for
a particular intention and videos of the messages and homilies of John =
Paul
II related to each intention were shown before the prayer. The sanctuary =
of
Lagiewniki in Krakow, Poland prayed for the youth; the sanctuary of =
Kawekamo
in Bugando, Tanzania, for the family; the sanctuary of Our Lady of =
Lebanon
in Harissa, Lebanon, for evangelization; the Basilica of Our Lady of
Guadalupe in Mexico City, Mexico, for hope and peace among nations; and =
the
Sanctuary of Fatima in Portugal, for the Church.
At the end of the ceremony, Benedict XVI, in a live link from the =
Vatican,
recited a prayer to the Virgin: "Help us always to account for the hope =
that
is in us, with trust in the goodness of humanity created by God in His =
image
and in the Father's love. Teach us to renew the world from within: in =
the
depths of silence and prayer, in the joy of fraternal love, in the =
unique
fruitfulness of the Cross". At the end of the prayer, the Holy Father
imparted the apostolic blessing on those participating in the vigil.
VIGIL/ VIS 20110501 (1140)
RITE OF BEATIFICATION
VATICAN CITY, 1 MAY 2011 (VIS) - Following the penitential act of the =
Mass
of Beatification, Cardinal Agostino Vallini, Vicar General of the =
Pontiff
for the Diocese of Rome, joined Benedict XVI, along with the postulator =
for
the cause of beatification, Msgr. Slawomir Oder, and asked that the
beatification of the Servant of God, John Paul II, might proceed:
Beatissime Pater,=20
Vicarius Generalis Sanctitatis Vestrae
pro Romana Dioecesi,
humillime a Sanctitate Vestra petit
ut Venerabilem Servum Dei
Ioannem Paulum II, papam,=20
numero Beatorum adscribere=20
benignissime digneris.
(Most blessed Father, Your Holiness' Vicar General for the Diocese for =
Rome
humbly asks your Holiness to beneficently deign to inscribe the =
Venerable
Servant of God John Paul II in the number of the Blessed.)
He then read a brief biography of the Polish Pontiff:
Karol J=F3zef Wojtyla was born in the Polish town of Wadowice on 18 =
May 1920
to Karol and Emilia Kaczorowska. He was baptized on 20 June of that year =
in
Wadowice's parish church.
The second of two children, the joy and serenity of his childhood was
shaken by the premature death of his mother when Karol was nine (1929).
Three years later, in 1932, his older brother Edmund also died and then =
in
1941, when he was 21, he also lost his father.
Brought up in a solid patriotic and religious tradition, he learned =
from
his father, a deeply Christian man, piety and love for one's neighbor, =
which
he nourished with constant prayer and participation in the sacraments.
The characteristics of his spirituality, to which he remained faithful
until his death, were a sincere devotion to the Holy Spirit and love for =
the
Madonna. His relationship with the Mother of God was particularly deep =
and
vibrant, lived with the tenderness of a child who abandons himself to =
his
mother's embrace and with the vigor of a gallant, always ready for his
lady's command: "Do what my Son asks!" His complete trust in Mary, which =
as
a bishop he expressed with the motto Totus tuus, also reveals his secret =
of
looking at the world with the eyes of the Mother of God.
Young Karol's rich personality matured with the interweaving of his
intellectual, moral, and spiritual gifts with the events of his day, =
which
marked the history of his country and of Europe.
During the years of his secondary education, a passion for theatre and
poetry grew in him, which he cultivated in the theatrical group of the
Faculty of Philology at Krakow's Jagiellonian University where he was
enrolled during the 1938 academic year.
During the period of Nazi occupation of Poland, together with his =
studies
that he carried on in secret, he spent four years (October 1940 to =
August
1944) working in the Solvay chemical factory, directly encountering the
social problems of the working world and gathering the precious wealth =
of
experience that he was able to draw upon in his future social teachings,
first as Archbishop of Krakow and subsequently as Supreme Pontiff.
Throughout these years his inclination towards the priesthood =
developed, a
path he furthered by attending clandestine courses in theology at the
Seminary of Krakow from October of 1942. He was assisted greatly in
recognizing his priestly vocation by a lay man, Jan Tyranowski, a true
apostle of youth. From then on the young Karol had a clear understanding =
of
the universal call to holiness of all Christians, and the fundamental =
role
of the laity in the mission of the Church.
He received priestly ordination on 1 November 1946 and the day after, =
in
the evocative atmosphere of the crypt of St. Leonard in the cathedral of
Wawel, he celebrated his first Mass.
He was sent to Rome to complete his theological formation at the =
Faculty
of Theology of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas =
(Angelicum),
where he was immersed in the source of sound doctrine, having his first
encounter with the vibrancy and richness of the Universal Church from =
the
privileged position of life on the other side of the 'Iron Curtain'. At
around this time he met with Padre Pio of Pietrelcina.
After graduating with highest honors in June of 1948, he returned to
Krakow to begin his pastoral duties as a parish vicar. He undertook his
ministry with enthusiasm and generosity. After obtaining his university
teaching qualification, he began teaching in the Faculty of Theology at =
the
Jagiellonian University then, when that faculty was closed, in the =
diocesan
Seminary of Krakow and the Catholic University of Lublin.
The years he spent in the company of young students enabled him to =
gain a
profound understanding of the restlessness of their hearts and the young
priest was a not only a teacher for them, but also a spiritual guide and
friend.
At the age of 38 he was appointed as auxiliary bishop of Krakow. On 28
September 1958, he was ordained a bishop by Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak,
whom he succeeded as archbishop of Krakow in 1964. He was created a =
cardinal
by Pope Paul VI on 26 June 1967.
As bishop of the Diocese of Krakow, he was immediately appreciated as =
a
man of robust and courageous faith, close to the people and aware of the
real problems they faced.
He was an interlocutor capable of listening and of dialogue without =
ever
conceding to compromise. He affirmed to all the primacy of God and of =
Christ
as the foundation for a true humanism and the source of inalienable =
human
rights. Beloved by his priests and esteemed by his brother bishops, he =
was
also feared by those who regarded him as an adversary.
On 16 October 1978 he was elected Bishop and Pontiff of Rome and took =
the
name of John Paul II. His shepherd's heart, entirely given over to the =
cause
of the Kingdom of God, was opened to the entire world. "Christ's love" =
led
him to visit the parishes of Rome and to announce the Gospel in all =
places.
It was the driving force for his innumerable apostolic visits to various
continents, undertaken to confirm his Christian brothers and sisters in =
the
faith, to comfort the afflicted and the discouraged, to bring the =
message of
reconciliation between Christian faiths, and to build bridges of =
friendship
between believers in the one God and all of good will.
His illustrious teachings focused on nothing other than proclaiming
Christ, the sole Savior of humanity, always and everywhere.
In his extraordinary missionary zeal, he had a particular love for the
young. He envisioned the World Youth Day gatherings with the objective =
of
announcing Jesus Christ and his Gospel to the new generations in order =
to
enable them to actively shape their future and to co-operate in building =
a
better world.
His solicitude as universal Shepherd was demonstrated in the =
convocation
of numerous assemblies of the Synods of Bishops, the erection of =
dioceses
and ecclesiastical circumscriptions, in the promulgation of the Codes of
Canon Law for the Latin and Eastern Churches and the catechism of the
Catholic Church, and in the publication of encyclical letters and =
apostolic
exhortations. In order to promote occasions for a more intense spiritual
life for the People of God, he proclaimed the extraordinary Jubilee of
Redemption, the Marian Year, the Year of the Eucharist, and the Great
Jubilee of 2000.
John Paul II had lived through the tragic experience of two =
dictatorships,
survived an assassination attempt on 13 May 1981 and, in his later =
years,
suffered grave physical hardship due to the progression of his illness.
However, his overwhelming optimism, based on his trust in divine =
Providence,
drove him to constantly look to horizons of hope, inviting people to =
break
down the walls between them, to brush aside passivity in order to attain =
the
goals of spiritual, moral and material renewal.=20
He concluded his long and fruitful earthly existence in the Vatican
Apostolic Palace on Saturday, 2 April 2005, the vigil of the Second =
Sunday
of Easter (Dominica in Albis), which he entitled the Sunday of Divine =
Mercy.
The funeral was held in St. Peter's Square on 8 April 2005.
A touching testimony of the good he brought about during his life was =
seen
by the participation of delegations from all over the world and of =
millions
of men and women, believers and non-believers alike, who recognized in =
him a
clear sign of God's love for humanity.
Cardinal Vallini concluded by thanking the Pope with the following =
words:
Beatissime Pater,
Vicarius Sanctitatis Vestrae
pro Romana Dioecesi,
gratias ex animo Sanctitati Vestrae agit
quod titulum Beati
hodie
Venerabili Servo Dei
Ioanni Paulo II, papae=20
Conferre dignatus es.
(Most Blessed Father, the Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese =
of
Rome gives heartfelt thanks to Your Holiness for conferring the title of
Blessed to the venerable Servant of God, Pope John Paul II.)
.../ VIS 20110501
(1470)
BENEDICT PROCLAIMS JOHN PAUL II A BLESSED
VATICAN CITY, 1 MAY 2011 (VIS) - At 10:00am this morning, the Second =
Sunday
of Easter of Divine Mercy Sunday, Benedict XVI presided over the =
Eucharistic
celebration during which Servant of God John Paul II, Pope (1920-2005) =
was
proclaimed a Blessed, and whose feastday will be celebrated 22 October =
every
year from now on.
Eighty-seven delegations from various countries, among which were 5 =
royal
houses, 16 heads of state - including the presidents of Poland and Italy =
-
and 7 prime ministers, attended the ceremony.
Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world filled St. =
Peter's
Square and the streets adjacent. The ceremony could also be followed on =
the
various giant screens installed in Circo Massimo and various squares =
around
the city.
The text of the Pope's homily follows:
"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Six years ago we gathered in this Square to celebrate the funeral of =
Pope
John Paul II. Our grief at his loss was deep, but even greater was our =
sense
of an immense grace which embraced Rome and the whole world: a grace =
which
was in some way the fruit of my beloved predecessor's entire life, and
especially of his witness in suffering. Even then we perceived the =
fragrance
of his sanctity, and in any number of ways God's People showed their
veneration for him. For this reason, with all due respect for the =
Church's
canonical norms, I wanted his cause of beatification to move forward =
with
reasonable haste. And now the longed-for day has come; it came quickly
because this is what was pleasing to the Lord: John Paul II is blessed!
I would like to offer a cordial greeting to all of you who on this =
happy
occasion have come in such great numbers to Rome from all over the world =
-
cardinals, patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches, brother bishops =
and
priests, official delegations, ambassadors and civil authorities,
consecrated men and women and lay faithful, and I extend that greeting =
to
all those who join us by radio and television.
Today is the Second Sunday of Easter, which Blessed John Paul II =
entitled
Divine Mercy Sunday. The date was chosen for today's celebration =
because, in
God's providence, my predecessor died on the vigil of this feast. Today =
is
also the first day of May, Mary's month, and the liturgical memorial of
Saint Joseph the Worker. All these elements serve to enrich our prayer, =
they
help us in our pilgrimage through time and space; but in heaven a very
different celebration is taking place among the angels and saints! Even =
so,
God is but one, and one too is Christ the Lord, who like a bridge joins
earth to heaven. At this moment we feel closer than ever, sharing as it =
were
in the liturgy of heaven.
=20
'Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe' (Jn
20:29). In today's Gospel Jesus proclaims this beatitude: the beatitude =
of
faith. For us, it is particularly striking because we are gathered to
celebrate a beatification, but even more so because today the one =
proclaimed
blessed is a Pope, a Successor of Peter, one who was called to confirm =
his
brethren in the faith. John Paul II is blessed because of his faith, a
strong, generous and apostolic faith. We think at once of another =
beatitude:
'Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not =
revealed
this to you, but my Father in heaven' (Mt 16:17). What did our heavenly
Father reveal to Simon? That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living =
God.
Because of this faith, Simon becomes Peter, the rock on which Jesus can
build his Church. The eternal beatitude of John Paul II, which today the
Church rejoices to proclaim, is wholly contained in these sayings of =
Jesus:
'Blessed are you, Simon' and 'Blessed are those who have not seen and =
yet
have come to believe!' It is the beatitude of faith, which John Paul II =
also
received as a gift from God the Father for the building up of Christ's
Church.
Our thoughts turn to yet another beatitude, one which appears in the
Gospel before all others. It is the beatitude of the Virgin Mary, the =
Mother
of the Redeemer. Mary, who had just conceived Jesus, was told by Saint
Elizabeth: 'Blessed is she who believed that there would be a =
fulfillment of
what was spoken to her by the Lord' (Lk 1:45). The beatitude of faith =
has
its model in Mary, and all of us rejoice that the beatification of John =
Paul
II takes place on this first day of the month of Mary, beneath the =
maternal
gaze of the one who by her faith sustained the faith of the Apostles and
constantly sustains the faith of their successors, especially those =
called
to occupy the Chair of Peter. Mary does not appear in the accounts of
Christ's resurrection, yet hers is, as it were, a continual, hidden
presence: she is the Mother to whom Jesus entrusted each of his =
disciples
and the entire community. In particular we can see how Saint John and =
Saint
Luke record the powerful, maternal presence of Mary in the passages
preceding those read in today's Gospel and first reading. In the account =
of
Jesus' death, Mary appears at the foot of the Cross (Jn 19:25), and at =
the
beginning of the Acts of the Apostles she is seen in the midst of the
disciples gathered in prayer in the Upper Room (Acts 1:14).
Today's second reading also speaks to us of faith. St. Peter himself,
filled with spiritual enthusiasm, points out to the newly-baptized the
reason for their hope and their joy. I like to think how in this =
passage, at
the beginning of his First Letter, Peter does not use language of
exhortation; instead, he states a fact. He writes: 'you rejoice', and he
adds: 'you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe =
in
him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are
receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls' (1 Pt =
1:6,
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