Remembering St. Pope John Paul II

LIFESITENEWS: Polish bishops end Year of Mercy by enthroning Christ as King in presence of president

KRAKOW- ŁAGIEWNIKI, Poland, November 23, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) — On November 19, at the end of the Jubilee of Mercy, Poland celebrated a historical Act of Acceptance of Christ as King and Lord with a Mass at the Shrine of Divine Mercy, with the Polish bishops, government authorities, and many faithful in attendance. President Andrzej Duda from the Law and Justice Party took part in the event, thus attracting international media attention.

More than 100,000 Poles in Krakow recited the solemn pledge: “O Immortal King of Ages, Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Savior! In the Jubilee Year of the 1,050th anniversary of Poland’s baptism, in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, we Poles stand here before you to acknowledge your reign, to submit ourselves to your law, to entrust and consecrate to you our Fatherland and our whole people.”

The ceremony was organized by the Polish Bishops’ Conference, inspired by Pope Francis’ papal bull Misericordiae Vultus. In relation to the closing of the Holy Door of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, the Holy Father wrote, “We will entrust the life of the Church, all humanity, and the entire cosmos to the Lordship of Christ, asking him to pour out his mercy upon us like the morning dew, so that everyone may work together to build a brighter future.”

During the Mass, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakow and the president of the Conference of the Polish Episcopate, said, “We invite Jesus into our hearts, families, communities, and surroundings … and to all which constitutes Poland.” The Cardinal added that all persons should not be afraid to proclaim such things.

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The idea for this proclamation came from the Commission for the Movements of Christ’s Enthronement. In an October pastoral letter, the Polish Bishops explained, “There is no need to enthrone Christ in the sense of placing him on the throne and giving him the power or proclaiming him king.” However, “there is an urgent need to enthrone Christ in the hearts of the faithful, by reviving living faith and the life of faith.” Therefore, the Act contains a profession of faith and renunciation of evil.

Bishop Andrzej Czaja, president of the Groups for Enthronement, said that the primary purpose of the Act is “faithful recognition of Jesus, surrendering and entrusting our personal, family, and national lives to Him in all dimensions, and living according to God’s law.” He added, “As such, it should therefore also be an act of justice, in the sense of devoting what is due to God, and at the same time an act of obedience to God in response to His Love.”

Most of the people were not able to enter the Shrine of Divine Mercy and stood outside in the rain. Among them were members of the Right to Life Foundation, who were holding pro-life posters. Many participants interviewed by Polonia Christiana TV mentioned that they wanted Poland to ban abortion, which the ruling party Law and Justice is unwilling to do.

It appears that the Church authorities hinted at that. During the homily, Bishop Czaja said, “There is a need for clear respect for God’s law, so that man’s law does not supercede it.” He clarified that this respect would assure that “what’s morally good and ethical would not be neglected.” Bishop Czaja also talked about giving the first place to Christ in all aspects of life, including professional.

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However, Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Gowin commented that the enthronement had no political meaning and that politicians present accepted Christ as King and Lord only as private citizens.

The Saturday celebration in the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow preceded the feast of the Solemnity of Christ the King in the Catholic liturgical year. Last Sunday, the Act of Acceptance of Christ as King and Lord was recited in all Catholic churches in Poland.

A short video from the celebration can be viewed here:

The full text of the Jubilee Act of Acceptance of Jesus Christ as King and Lord as translated by the Bishops’ Conference:

O Immortal King of Ages, Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Savior! In the Jubilee Year of the 1050th anniversary of Poland’s Baptism, in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, we Poles stand here before you [together with our authorities, clergy and laity] to acknowledge your reign, to submit ourselves to your law, to entrust and consecrate to you our Fatherland and our whole people.

Yes! That Much!

SAINTS POPE JOHN XXIII & POPE JOHN PAUL II - PRAY FOR US!

OFFICIAL: Pope Francis approved the Canonization of John XXIII and John Paul II to become Saints

Pope John XXIII(Time.com) and Pope John Paul II (Time.com)

VATICAN CITY (News.va) - Journalists in the Holy See Press Office busy getting to grips with Pope Francis’ first encyclical the Light of Faith, were somewhat surprised Friday lunchtime when Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. called them back for a second announcement: Pope Francis had approved the cause for canonization of two of his venerable and much loved predecessors Blessed John XXIII and Blessed Pope John Paul II.

Meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, Friday morning, Pope Francis approved the promulgation of the decree and also convoked a special Consistory of the College of Cardinals to discuss the canonization of the Polish pope in depth.

Furthermore, he approved the favorable votes of the Ordinary Session of the Congregations Cardinals and Bishops regarding the raising to the altars of sainthood of Blessed John XXII.

This slightly unusual gesture was explained by Fr. Lombardi who told journalists that despite the absence of a second miracle it was the Pope’s will that the Sainthood of the great Pope of the Second Vatican Council be recognized.

Fr. Lombardi stated that a canonization without a second miracle is still valid, given that there is already the existing miracle that lead to the Roncalli Pope’s beatification. He also pointed to ongoing discussions among theologians and experts about whether it is necessary to have two distinct miracles for beatification and canonization. Certainly, he added the Pope has the power to dispense, in a Cause, with the second miracle.

However, there was no mention of dates. Neither for the Consistory nor for the Canonizations. Fr. Lombardi did not rule out that both celebrations could coincide, and he did express his belief that they would take place by the end of the year. Either way any date would be established during the Consistory.

Remembering the Man who changed the world

Blessed Pope John Paul II in Guinness Book of Records!

Blessed John Paul with children

Pope greets different world leaders at beatification

John Paul II to be listed in Guinness Book of Records

He's a man who has every right to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. During his pontificate, John Paul II, quickly broke all the records set by his predecessors. In fact, just a few months after being elected Pope, he was nicknamed Hurricane Wojtyla. He visited 129 countries. He made 104 trips abroad and another 146 within Italy. He traveled over 1,200,000 kilometers, which is more than three times the distance from Earth to the Moon or the equivalent of going around the world 30 times. -Xt3.com

My travels with Pope John Paul II: A reporter remembers

CNN's Jim Bittermann meets with Pope John Paul II

By Jim Bittermann, CNN

Rome, Italy (CNN) – I guess I could say I first met Pope John Paul II on October 16, 1978.

I wasn’t exactly alone with the pontiff. There were hundreds of thousands of others who also met him for the first time that night in St. Peter’s Square when he stepped out on the balcony as the newly elected pope.

And the story you may have heard is absolutely true: When they announced that Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was the new pope, those of us in the press corps - especially those of us broadcasting live - went as white as his robe. Few people ever put the cardinal on their papal short lists and fewer still could immediately understand the name announced over the Vatican’s crackly speaker system.

But we got to know John Paul - who will be beatified Sunday in Rome, the last step before sainthood – very quickly.

Pope tells world leaders at beatification to respect rights of every person

Crowds at beatification vigil remember the life of John Paul II

Blessed John Paul II, Intercede for Us

Blessed Trinity, we thank you for having graced the Church with Pope John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your Fatherly care, the glory of the cross of Christ and the splendor of the Holy Spirit to shine through him.

Trusting Fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Sheperd, and has shown us Christian Life and is the way of achieving eternal Communion with you.

Grant us, by his intercession and according to Your will, the graces we now implore, hoping that he will soon be numbered among your saints. Amen.

Key dates in John Paul II's remarkable papacy

Source: Inquirer News

VATICAN CITY, AFP —From his rise to the papacy as the first non-Italian pope in more than 400 years to his prolonged agony played out in front of the world, there was nothing ordinary about John Paul II's life.

As the Vatican prepares to confer "blessed" status -- one step from full sainthood -- on the late pope at a solemn ceremony on May 1, here are some of the most important events that marked John Paul's remarkable papacy.

1978: A virtually unknown Polish cardinal, Karol Wojtyla, becomes the leader of the world's Catholics at the age of 58 -- the youngest pope of the 20th century. He salutes the crowd and asks to be corrected if he gets things wrong.

Assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II carried out by Islamic terrorists, Polish communist leader claims

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER (Read comments at IslamizationWatch)

The assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II was carried out under orders from Islamic terrorists, Poland's last communist leader has claimed. 

The Polish-born pope almost died in the attempt when Turkish sniper Mehmet Ali Agca shot him with four rounds in St Peter's Square in the Vatican in 1981. 

An official inquiry into the shooting blamed Soviet-sponsored assassins who wanted the pope dead because of his support for the democracy movement Solidarity. 

But now General Wojciech Jaruzelski - who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer - claims Islamic fanatics sponsored the would-be assassination. 

'Radical Islam detested the pope and saw in him a leader of crusades,' he told Poland's 'Jezus' Catholic magazine.

John Paul the Great Beatification Event Programs

Soon to be Bl. John Paul the Great

Here is the schedule during the Beatification Ceremonies in the Vatican in 1 May 2011 (Sunday). John Paul the Great will be beatified thus he will be called Blessed John Paul. Thanks to A Priest's Stuff for the update.

SUMMARY OF EVENTS

Activities	Date and Time	Place	Presider
Overnight Vigil	April 30, 2011 (Saturday) from 8pm to 10.30pm	Circus Maximus	Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the vicar general for the Diocese of Rome.
Beatification Rites	May 1, 2011 (Sunday) at 10:00 AM	St. Peter’s Square	His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI
Veneration of the mortal remains of Blessed Pope John Paul II	May 1, 2011 (Sunday) after the Beatification Rites until everyone has venerated.	The High Altar of St. Peter’s Basilica	----
Reinterment of the mortal remains of Blessed Pope John Paul II	May 1 or 2, 2011 (Sunday /Monday) after everyone has venerated the mortal remains	The Chapel of St. Sebastian in St. Peter’s Basilica	[private]
Thanksgiving Mass at St. Peter’s Square	May 2, 2011 (Monday) at 10:30 AM	St. Peter's Square.	The Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone

John Paul the Great: A Pope Who Made History

Pope John Paul II Memoires (1998)

Vatican announces Facebook, YouTube pages for John Paul II

By Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor

Pope John Paul II, famous for his power to communicate the Roman Catholic Church’s message around the world, is getting another chance to do so, with the Vatican launching pages dedicated to him on Facebook and YouTube.

The Holy See launched the social networking pages Tuesday, in advance of the beatification of Pope John Paul II on May 1, the last step before sainthood.

"The aim is to diversify the instruments so as to give this initiative as great an exposure and as wide a coverage as possible,” the Vatican press office said in a statement.

The new Facebook and YouTube pages feature video clips from John Paul’s nearly 27-year pontificate and are being maintained by Vatican Radio and of the Vatican Television Centre.

The Vatican announced in January that John Paul II, who died in 2005, would be beatified later this year.