When will be John Paul II’s feast day?
So far there’s no agreement but it’s currently the subject of discussion among senior Vatican officials.
Papal spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told reporters this week the date will be announced on May 1, the day Benedict XVI celebrates the beatification Mass.
According to some authoritative sources, October 16th - the date of John Paul II’s election - is the most likely choice. But this would be rather surprising given the fact that the Vatican is keen to stress John Paul II is being beatified on account of his personal holiness rather than his achievements as pope, or impact on history. Another date being floated is that of his inauguration, October 22nd. A date related to Our Lady of Fatima is another possibility.
Most beatified popes’ feast days are chosen to commemorate the date they entered Heaven (in John Paul II’s case, that would be April 2nd) and this has applied to almost all beatified popes.
But exceptions have been made, notably Blessed Gregory X (pope from 1271 to 1276) and, most recently, Blessed John XXIII (1958-1963) whose life is celebrated on 11th October, the anniversary of his opening of the Second Vatican Council.
The feast day of Blessed John Henry Newman, one of the Church’s most recent figures to be beatified, is on October 9th, the date he was received into the Catholic Church.
Which date do you favor for John Paul the Great?
UPDATE:
The Vatican has made an announcement sooner than anticipated, and chosen Oct. 22nd as the feast day of Blessed John Paul II, the date of his liturgical inauguration as Pope. More details can be found here.
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I like May 1st, the day he is being beatified. It is the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, but in formerly Communist countries it was communist worker’s day when they parades tanks, troops and missiles by the dictator. Since Pope John Paul started Solidarity, which brought European Communism to an peaceful end, I think he now owns this holiday.
I’m sure St Joseph won’t mind sharing!
I agree with Leticia.
I like October 16th, the date he was elected Pope.
I like the tradition of a pope’s feast day being on the day he entered Heaven; in this case, April 2. Besides which, October 16 is already taken! It is the feast of St. Margaret Mary Alocoque, the Visitation sister who was shown the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I like the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday, that is, Saturday of Holy Week, no matter what year, as that was the liturgical day on which he died. It was the feast that he himself promoted, out of love and devotion for the Polish nun and contemporary, St. Faustina. It will also be the eve of his beatification. The Easter week solemnities obviously preempt the traditional celebration of the saints, but hey, maybe they could make an exception for that Saturday morning, much like we celebrate several saints over the octave of Christmas.
Sometime in May. John Paul was so close to our Blessed Mother..it is also her month and he a good son! :)
Any day of the year is John Paul II Day.
Any day.
But for personal reasons I would be happy if it is April 2.
April 2 has to be the date. All others are superfluous and already taken with other notable saints and feasts of the Lord.
April 2 is the date he entered heaven, the date he was born to eternity. Also, that is the date everybody remembers when people started chanting: SANCTO SUBITO!
October 16th is the perfect day…didn’t he also release The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary on this day?
October is also a Marian month :-)
April 2nd. It’s my birthday, and I’d love to have him as my patron.
apr 2nd
October- the month of election and inauguration and the Holy Rosary (the Luminous Mysteries)
13th- Fatima and the attempt on his life
May 13th a day that most of us will never forget.
April 2nd please because it is the anniversry of his death and my birthday also. I think St Francis of Paula (Paola)a very humble man would happily share the day with JP11 who was also a very humble servant of God and people. Otherwise May 1st -May Day - as he thawrted the Communist Rule over half the world and it is Mary’s month, to whom he was so devoted.
April 2nd is my preference as He entered Heaven on this day. Also my dad passed 3 days later and it’s a beautiful time to remember both.
ps
In Australia St Joseph’s Feast Day is March 19th
I would prefer April 2. However, the main difficulty is that due to the ever changing timeframe of Holy Week and the Easter Octave each year, it might at times be overshadowed and/or superceded (as it should be). Therefore, May 13 might be the best, especially since Our Lady had spared him from entering eternity on that very day! Totus Tuus!
Apr 2, as per Stephen, is very often trumped by Holy Week or Easter Week. (The vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday would always be so “trumped.” I would go for May 12 - the vigil of Our Lady of Fatima, which was when she rescued him from the hand of the assassin. (I think he would not like the 13th itself, as then, then priests would have to choose between him trumping O.L. Fatima or vice versa.) Curious about this - a Blessed can only be celebrated liturgically in the Diocese of his/her death or where he/she worked - it is restricted. How can this Blessed be restricted?
I choose April 2. I have always celebrated and rejoiced that day that the Saint died and met our Lord and Savior face to face-that’s a feast! To do it to celecbrate aanother special date may be nice but would not compare!
I would think that the date of his Baptism would be most appropriate. This is the day that actually began his life in service to the Church.
Without his Baptism we no priest, bishop, or successor to Peter. It all eminates with this one sacrament.
Let’s leave the decision to Pope Benedict XVI. He knows best.
How about April 8th? It was the day of our final goodbye mass and he was laid to rest “in the dirt” as he wished. If we are supposed to look to his life we should go with his birthday May 18th which is in the month dedicated to Our Lady. There is also May 13th which could be considered the begining of a new life in more ways than one for him.
My first choice would be April 2nd and them May 13. You can not deny the day that the Lord and Our Blessed Mother Mary met him in heaven.
But since JPII’s devotion to Our Blessed Mother was soo incredible deep and devout, this would also be a good choice.
“Blessed JPII we love you”!!
Considering his Encyclical Salvafici Doloris (the saving suffering), the Pope lived the teaching of the Church on suffering in public thus teaching to unite our suffering with Christ. Much of that critical suffering was during Lent of 2005, a period like this when we are considering this matter. It was Year A that the late Pope taught his last message on Hope on the his own cross of suffering. I therefore February 9, which was Ash Wednesday of 2005, be set as his feast day. This way as christians prepare for lent, a reminder of the late Pope’s suffering will always send an encouragement towards reconciling with God and offering our lives as living sacrifices as the reading of that day appeal. It will also encourage the physically suffering (sick) christians and all who look for a role model in their tribulations.
John Paul II, pray for us.
Vincent Otim, St. Andrea Kaggwa Kigoowa Catholic Parish, Kampala-Uganda.
The date of his baptism if that is known
Brendan Murray, you raise rather a sad issue: that a Blessed may only be celebrated in the diocese of his death or where he/she worked. But I would urgue that the Pope works in the whole Church. So this may not apply to JPII. Any further clarification? would be glad to know.
I agree with Leticia .... May 1st is the best day .... I feel that St. Joseph will be proud to have a son like John Paul the great
I find it disgraceful that this Pope’ beatification should be rushed through. He made many mistakes, one being the serious eror of inviting anti Christian faiths to pray with him in Asissi. This was going directly against the 1st Commandment ” you shall have no Gods before me “
Since they were so close, it should be whatever date that will designated for Mother Theresa.
If that is not possible, how about August 10?
in my opinion, i think his feastday should be on divine mercy sunday.
he was the one who declared divine mercy sunday for the universal church and it so happen he died the night before that great feastday, ergo his first day in heaven is divine mercy sunday.
I like FILIUSDEXTRIS suggestions of the Vigil of divine mercy sunday, but April 2 is still the best day to me,
I agree with FiliusDextris, good reasoning
I also agree with clifford chua ..... Divine mercy Sunday which Pope John Paul the great was devoted is a good day for his memorial .... I think that all days is reflecting something special of this Great Pope who made history ....
Much as I would dearly love April 2 to be Pope John Paul II’s feast day, it would very rarely get celebrated properly - falling mostly in Lent and once in a while in Easter.
What should be considered is 31 October, the Eve of All Saints.
He was ordained a priest on the Feast of All Saints, and called each one of us to holiness of life. Thus far he has been the Pope that has called our attention to the greatest number of modern Saints and Blesseds, reminding us that God wants each one of us to attain the greatest level of holiness possible.
October 22nd would be the best. It’s October, it’s Marian month and there’s no popular saint feast yet in that day…
What about the real birthday of PJP2 May18 or his brother Edmunds birthday or the day he survived the attempt on his life was that not May 13/ or the date of his parents marriage?
I agree with FILIUSDEXTRIS…April 2nd, and for the same reason.
One of my middle names is Francis after St. Francis Di Paola, so I have a personal devotion to him (a very underrated Saint). So I’d like April 2 to be kept for him.
Oct. 22 is fine for the late Holy Father. October is the month of the Rosary which he has a profound devotion to (and added the Luminous Mysteries)
“When will be John Paul II’s feast day?”
The day of his death, surely. That is how the Church has for good reason decided these things, and having more exceptions than need be simply muddies the water. (January 28 for St Thomas Aquinas is impossible to take seriously.)
If the idea is to avoid overloading Lent, for the present at least his feast-day is not going to be observed by the Universal Church, but only by groups- such as Poles or Romans - with some kind of proprietary interest in him. He hasn’t been canonised, and may never be, but if ever he is, maybe that will be the time to choose a feast-day.
I think the Church has acted wisely by chosen October 2nd for the Feast of Our Beloved Father and Mentor Blessed John Paul II. Like others I started praying to him on that very day. I love him. Everyday is Blessed John Paul II for me for all. Blessed John Paul II, pray for us.
You are free to edit it. I only discovered that I made a little mistake Everyday is John Paul II’s day for me and for all. Thanks
Thanks you are free
Thanks
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