Why Do Catholics ...?

I have been searching for the official title of St. John Paul II. What I found was Pope St. John Paul II, but some are telling me this is wrong. Do you have the answer?

“Pope St. John Paul II, Pope St. Pius V, Pope St. Pius X, etc. are the proper formal construction for popes who are saints,” says Colin Donovan, EWTN’s vice president of theology. The Vatican uses this title officially.
“Why? It seems to me that the papal office is of greater consequence than the holiness of a single individual, and thus a greater title. It is a unique exercise of Christ’s own supreme authority as priest, prophet and king and doesn’t depend on the pope’s goodness, nor is it depreciated by his sinfulness. It depends solely on Christ and on his promises to the Church.”

Have you always wondered about some aspect of the faith? Or maybe you’d like to know some trivia about Pope Francis. If you do, email us your question at [email protected] and look for the answer in an upcoming issue.

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne attends a German Synodal Way assembly on March 9, 2023.

Four German Bishops Resist Push to Install Permanent ‘Synodal Council’

Given the Vatican’s repeated interventions against the German process, the bishops said they would instead look to the Synod of Bishops in Rome. Meanwhile, on Monday, German diocesan bishops approved the statutes for a synodal committee; and there are reports that the synodal committee will meet again in June.

Palestinian Christians celebrate Easter Sunday Mass at Holy Family Church in Gaza City on March 31, amid the ongoing battles Israel and the Hamas militant group.

People Explain ‘Why I Go to Mass’

‘Why go to Mass on Sundays? It is not enough to answer that it is a precept of the Church. … We Christians need to participate in Sunday Mass because only with the grace of Jesus, with his living presence in us and among us, can we put into practice his commandment, and thus be his credible witnesses.’ —Pope Francis