Pope Benedict XVI has today promulgated a decree recognising a miracle took place at the intercession of the Ven. John Paul II. The beatification ceremony will take place May 1st in Rome, presided by Benedict XVI.
The date, the Second Sunday of Easter, coincides with Divine Mercy Sunday - a Feast Day instituted by John Paul II. The late Pope died on the solemnity, on April 2, 2005.
The announcement of the beatification comes after five years of investigations into the life and works of the Polish Pontiff.
The full text of the decree can be found here.
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The Vatican also announced today that Msgr. Nelson Baker (1842-1936), diocesan priest and businessman from Buffalo, N.Y., is to be declared Venerable.
Known as “Padre of the Poor”, he devoted his life to helping those less fortunate, founding an orphanage and maternity hospital and having the Our Lady of Victory basilica built in Lackawanna, N.Y.
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Latest updates:
A Vatican Radio interview with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, on John Paul II’s beatification can be found here.
Cardinal Amato says that despite the “fast-tracking” of the cause, there were “no corners cut with regard to the rigor and accuracy of procedure. The case was treated like any other, following all the steps prescribed by the law of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. On the contrary, if I may speak further to one of my first observations: precisely in order to honor the dignity and the memory of this great Pope, to avoid any doubt and overcome any difficulties, the case was subjected to particularly careful scrutiny.”
The Congregation’s official statement on the beatification (VIS):
According to a note released by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, “today 24 January, Benedict XVI, during an audience granted to Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, authorised the dicastery to promulgate the decree of the miracle attributed to the intercession of Venerable Servant of God John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla). This concludes the process which precedes the rite of beatification
“It is well known that, by pontifical dispensation, his cause began before the end of the five-year period which the current norms stipulate must pass following the death of a Servant of God. This provision was solicited by the great fame of sanctity which Pope John Paul II enjoyed during his life, in his death and after his death. In all other ways, the normal canonical dispositions concerning causes of beatification and canonisation were observed in full.
“Between June 2005 and April 2007 the principal diocesan investigation was held in Rome, accompanied by secondary investigations in various other dioceses, on his life, virtues, fame of sanctity and miracles. The juridical validity of these canonical processes was recognised by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints with a decree of 4 May 2007. In June 2009, having examined the relative ‘Positio’, nine of the dicastery’s theological consultors expressed their positive judgement concerning the heroic nature of the virtues of the Servant of God. The following November, in keeping with the usual procedure, the ‘Positio’ was submitted for the judgement of the cardinals and bishops of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, who gave their approval.
“On 19 December 2009, Benedict XVI authorised the promulgation of the decree on John Paul II’s heroic virtues.
“With a view to the beatification of the Venerable Servant of God, the postulator of the cause invited the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to examine the recovery from Parkinson’s disease of Sr. Marie Simon Pierre Normand, a religious of the ‘Institut des Petites Soeurs des Maternites Catholiques’.
“As is customary, the voluminous acts of the regularly-instituted canonical investigation, along with detailed reports from medical and legal experts, were submitted for scientific examination by the medical consultors of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on 21 October 2010. The experts of the congregation, having studied the depositions and the entire documentation with their customary scrupulousness, expressed their agreement concerning the scientifically inexplicable nature of the healing. On 14 December the theological consultors, having examined the conclusions reached by the medical experts, undertook a theological evaluation of the case and unanimously recognised the unicity, antecedence and choral nature of the invocation made to Servant of God John Paul II, whose intercession was effective in this prodigious healing.”
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How fitting that the one who beatified so many will be beatified himself. What a great gift to our Church, especially during this stressful time.
God’s Providence at work again for this holy man… his beatification on Divine Mercy Sunday. This is another sign of the importance of this feast. May everyone come to understand the need for this Feast of Mercy!
When I was in my twenties, I felt a huge lump in my left breast. My beautiful, wonderful, Sicilian mother told me, “Be Not Afraid.” After the doctor examined my breast, he told it was not cancerous. I am now 87 years old and have had yearly mammograms there has been no
sign of cancer. When John Paul II died, I saw a video clip of one of his talks shortly after his election as Pope. How surprised and thrilled I was to hear the same words my mother said to me long ago, “Be not Afraid” in Italian. I"m no sure I can spell the words in Italian but I hear them in my mind. Sounds like “Non averi paura!”. That is my mantra when I face difficulties in my life. When John Paul was shot, I was so surprised to see a photo taken by our local Springfield News-Leader of a prayer service for Pope John Paul II that we were having in our conference room at the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. I was in the foreground seated in prayer with my head bowed. A photo of the Holy Father was inserted at the top of the picture. I treasure that picture! I’ve always wanted to meet a Saint and did have the pleasure of meeting Blessed Mother Theresa in St. Louis.
I even got to shake her hand and now I will have my picture with a SAINT. God is so good!!!!!!
Rosina, the Italian is, “Non abbiate paura!” It was a phrase he used in his inaugural homily as pope and it became an unofficial motto of his papacy.
I was very pleased to hear the news of his beatification this morning! Thank you for bringing joy to me today!
Hooray! And thanks be to God! What a model of sanctity for the entire world.
Rosie, what a blessing for you , & what a blessing for me to see you here! Keep up the good work you do for Pro-Life! It is greatly appreciated. I think it is also fitting that the miracle was for Parkinson’s. Our Church needs much prayer and the Mercy of God, and I give Him praise and thanksgiving that He keeps His promise to never leave us and the Holy Spirit will always remain to guide us through it all.
Through tears of joy I thank you for letting us know this great news. I called my 9 yr. old in to read the headline and told him, “You will now have a new feast day!” He is named John Paul, after this wonderful pope.
Thanks be to God :)
Deo Gratias! Pope John Paul II is a beloved role model of mine, and I am ecstatic that he will be beatified this year.
Mary L., I have a nine-year old also named John Paul. God bless both of you!
Praise be Jesus Christ. That this “spark” from Poland whom Jesus chose way back in 1931, and promised to St. Faustina would establish The Feast of the Divine Mercy for the Universal Catholic Church to be celebrated on the Fist Sunday after Easter is being Beatified on this very Feast Day, is certainly The Triumph of God’s Revelation of His Boundless Mercy to mankind. May Heaven and Earth rejoice at this manifestation of Christ’s Unfathomable Ocean of Mercy on the whole world. Let us, once again re-read this Holy Servant of God’s Prophetic Encyclical “Rich in Mercy” and glorify God’s Love for us all. St. Faustina, pray for us.
How do you know it is a “quick” beautification?
Maybe, the Vatican has been-in theory-been investigating JPII’s life the day after his funeral, knowing that in all likelihood, he will eventually be canonized, pending the outcome of any miracles that have happened since.
Who knows, maybe they’ve been keeping track of his life, even when John Paul 2 was ALIVE, for the same reason.
Maybe the Vatican has a staff working “around the clock” on this?
Remember—-there still needs ONE more miracle for him to be canonized, and many don’t get that second one in for many hundreds of years.
How could this good tree bear such bitter fruit? Showmanship seems to have been his strength. And as one who has studied the history of the Church for many years, I must say that Alexander VI, Leo X and the awful pope of the 9th and 10th centuries didn’t do a tithe of damage to the Church as that which lies at the feet of the “servant of God.”
Snorri, showmanship doesn’t help to bring down atheistic communism. Courage, statesmanship, love, and prayer do.
On page 5 of George Weigel’s biography of JPII, he quotes Mikail Gorbachev, who stated that John Paul II was indispensable to the peaceful ending of the Cold War.
Viva el Papa! What a role model you have been for us!
John Paul II’s beatification should be put on hold. We laity need to know all that’s behind the Irish nuncio letter and other recent developments in the sex abuse cases. If JP II is beatified, a thorough investigation of his handling of the sex abuse cases must take place before canonization. This investigation should be undertaken by _lay Catholics_ only. Bishops should have no influence in the proceedings. The results of this investigation must be made public for all people to examine. If an investigation by the laity determines that JP II indeed covered for abusive priests on a large scale, he certainly should not be canonized.
Yes, John Paul II was the first “traveling Pope”. He was also very influential in the fall of European Communism. Many also consider John Paul to be a charismatic Pope. All of these aspects of his life are good and valuable. However, the wounds of the sex abuse scandal are fresh in the minds of all the laity. Now is not the time to alienate more Catholics by beatifying a Pope with a questionable record of protecting children.
Scilicet, you need to understand your Catholic Faith the Church itself,its origins and History better. Apostle Simon Peter denied Jesus three times at the most crucial time when Jesus needed him most. And this is the Apostle he had re-named Peter and decreed that on that upon that Rock He would build His Church. To cap it all, He gave him the Keys of Heaven!!!!. His personal and very grave failure to defend His Master was forgiven and Jesus understood the dangerous circumstances that pertained on that day. Before His Ascension, He proceeded to confirm Peter’s Apostolic Authority and Leadership to which He had elected him to - three times - to feed His lambs, to feed His Sheep. Now, the sex scandals are a big blot to the Catholic Church today. But if you read Pope Benedict XVI’s recent Book, you will realize the Church has addressed this sad scandal and moral failures on the part of Her Priests very effectively and decisively. Bear in mind that the Church has undergone worse tribulations and persecutions in the past 2010 years and survived. Why? Because Her Head promised the Powers of Hell and Evil would NEVER prevail upon His Church (whether these evil powers were from within or without) and She would remain firm, Holy, strong and Faithful to His Teachings and Message of Salvation until the End of Time. Our Great Holy Pope John Paul II, though the Vicar of Christ and the Successor of Peter in the time these scandals broke out, dealt with them very ably as he was guided by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the scandals cannot soil his own personal Holiness and Fidelity to the Bride of Christ and the way he shepherded Christ’s Sheep. We love him. Though I could never, ever be able to visit the Vatican, God decreed I would meet this Holy Pope in my own country, be among those who would minister to him and have him bless my Rosary at the outdoor Holy Mass at the Uhuru Park in our Capital, Nairobi during his 3rd visit to our country and later, at the evening Holy Mass at the Resurrection Gardens, hold and shake his both hands. At that moment, an electrifying feeling shook my whole body and I realized I was holding the hands of a Saint. His Beatification and soon to follow Canonization is guaranteed. + Laudetur Iesus Christus +
Mary42, beatifications and canonizations are just as much political as they are religious. Both John Paul II and Pope Benedict are great theologians and writers. Also, Pope John Paul touched the lives of many people by bringing the papacy to them in his travels. You’re certainly entitled to love John Paul and have an less critical view of his reign. Not all Catholics and people in general see it that way. Their position should be respected as well.
You might think that the Church is handling the sex abuse crisis well. I respect your opinion. However, the question of John Paul’s leadership in the area of sex abuse is still largely unknown. The Church has to weigh the spiritual dimension (“the gates of hell will not prevail ...”) and the political effects of beatification and canonization. A quick beatification or even canonization of John Paul might send a message to the world that the Church is not interested in an objective lay investigation of any pope’s involvement with the criminal cover-up of sex abuse cases.
“Beatifications and canonizations are just as much political as they are religious.” Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Gosh, Scilicet, are you talking about our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church? Have you ever studied the stringent procedures that are followed before one is even declared “The Servant of God” like our late Emeritus Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga?. From your comments I surmise you have not. Just because the Church is in the middle of another tribulation/persecution storm does not mean that Holy People within the Leadership of the Church have become extinct. On the contrary, the history of the Catholic Church reveals that very many great Saints arose and shone when the Church was undergoing major trials and tribulations. And God raised them up at exactly those moments specifically to bring about a renaissance, renewal in the Church and to inspire those Faithful who were anxious and worried about their Faith in God and His Church. To me and those who believe as I do, God raised up this very Holy Pope at the time when the Church needed his holiness to strengthen the shaken Faithful and confirm them in their Faith. Remember our Faith is based on the Teachings of Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. And the Holy Spirit is most active in rowing “Peter’s Boat” when She is threatened by the storms of the Evil One - whether from within or without. Always bear that in mind. But make no mistake, I respect your opinions and I have no wish to argue about my Faith with anyone.
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