Posted on 04/10/2005 1:51:12 PM PDT by NYer
VATICAN CITY - The private secretary of the late Pope John Paul II saw the pontiff perform what could be claimed as a miracle, one of the key stages to becoming a saint, Italy’s La Stampa newspaper reported Sunday.
It quoted Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz as relating how an American who was seriously ill received communion from the pope, and was cured.
The incident happened in 1998, but Dziwisz, who was John Paul II’s closest confidant for 40 years, spoke of the incident three years ago to reporters, who revealed it Sunday.
According to the report, Dziwisz told how an acquaintance had asked him if an American friend who was very ill with a brain tumor could meet the pope.
The acquaintance said the dying man had only three wishes: to see John Paul II, go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and return to the United States to die.
“I remember him very well, his face showed he was ill,” Dziwisz said. “I also remember that he had no hair, which was clearly due to the chemotherapy (treatment) he was having.”
The pope, at the time at his Castelgandolfo retreat outside Rome, led a private mass at which the sick man received communion, the holiest part of the Roman Catholic ritual.
Later, Dziwisz’s acquaintance rang him to say that the man had been cured, “his tumor completely disappeared in just a few hours.”
In his account of the incident, Dziwisz did not speak of a miracle but of a sign of “the supreme power of God” which surpassed human understanding.
La Stampa, however, pointed to the clamour at John Paul II’s funeral Friday for him to be made a saint, and said it could be interpreted as a miracle.
If he were to be canonised -- he made more saints than all his predecessors combined -- his case must pass three hurdles.
First is a ruling that he has led an exemplary life. Next is beatification following proof of a miracle as a result of his intercession.
The final stage, canonisation, requires at least one more miracle.
Earlier this week, a Mexican teenager claimed the late pope had performed a “miracle” on him 15 years ago that cured his leukemia, while a nun in Colombia has said he cured her of an illness affecting her balance.
On Saturday, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls pointed out in answer to a question on sainthood that it was up to the next pope to decide.
He said any such decision lay “in the sole competency” of the next pope.
In the 1950s and 60s Catholic Grade School children throughout America prayed the rosary regularly for the fall of communism.
Four people were instrumental in the leadership that led to the fall of the Soviet empire, the Pope, Reagan, Thatcher and Lech Walesa.
The inside job was the most important. Lech and the Pope did that work.
Read what I wrote and dont be so wquick to claim it is an issue of who is "a believer". That is painting with too wide and too narrow brush at the same time. Precision is better than sloppiness.
Dude. (Or, in the Greek, Behold!) I'm not knocking it, though I can see how it could sound like I was. For example I'm familiar with the story of Thomas a Beckett who's body caused pilgrims to be healed long after his death.
The relic example I was thinking of was St. Bernadette's missing hand, which seemed ghoulish, but now I understand that if relics can be obtained then the positio (I don't think I'm using that term correctly) can be in more than one place where he or she may perform the necessary miracolo.
Thanks for the Citation. Elisha certainly got that double helping he asked for, didn't he?
BUt suspicions DO get raised, see? If hands are held in any circumstance other than prayer people get very suspicious, unless it's like a defense in football holding hands in the huddle, and ain't nobody going to say nothing to them anyway.
When I was a kid, men did things together naked. Not any more. If a man wanted a massage he went to a man, if he went to a woman he wanted a whore. I may or may not want a whore, but I won't go take my clothes off in front of a man and let him make me feel good. See what I mean? There is no level of trust there. You can call it homophobia, you can call it homohatria, you can call it what you want, but the homosexuals have made us a much less trusting, brotherly society.
Course my elder brother had something to do with that too. And even in the church I ain't leaving my kids alone with them. It sucks, but it's a sign of the times.
I believe they were quoting from La Stampa, but the quote could be wrong, I grant you.
But the allowance of public worship came from the Vaticin rubrics on Canonization.
Feel like a skunk at a garden party, but I feel compelled to point out that the New Testament refers to all of the believers as 'saints'...there isn't some class of higher achievers or something.
I do believe that John Paul will not only be declared a saint eventually, but will have attached to his name what he truly deserves, John Paul the Great.
Could some one point out where in the Bible it tells of a process to make a Saint?
Actually, scripture refers to ALL believers as saints. (Use a concordance in the back of most Bibles for a list of passages where the term "saint" is used.)
The Catholic church has, progressively through the ages, changed the meaning of the term and concocted a bunch of rules that aren't in the Bible, both about sainthood and just about everything else.
My quarrel is with the church, not its faithful. I do believe that all of us have a responsibility to study for ourselves and separate the man-made from the God-decreed.
I would imagine when that guy came home cured his doctor was First in line to find out for sure.I hope he comes forward.
I agree- Just try posting a question to the Marianists some time and see the loving christian comments you get back
If a male friend of mine were dying I would hold his hand when his time came if he asked it. There's nothing sordid or untoward about it. To suggest such is nonsense.
FYI, Reagan was actually baptized a Catholic when he was born, but he was raised Protestant. His father was Catholic and his mother was Protestant. When his father turned to alcohol, his mother became his primary parent, guardian and teacher and she brought him to the Protestant church.
We should remember that the purpose of a miracle is God's purpose, not our "need" to keep somebody alive or to have more use of our faculties. In this case, with Pope John Paul, it is to demonstrate that he (John Paul) was indeed blessed by God, so that we can follow his teachings and example.
The peaceful fall of communism was, indeed, a great miracle, on a par with the ending of slavery during the 19th century. But, it was too complex an event to be identified as a sign from God.
On the other hand, with the identification of miracles attributable to Pope John Paul, such as a cure that can only be explained by the miraculous intervention of God, then we can appreciate the miracle such of the fall of communism.
Let us also remember that it will take a miracle to bring peace to the Middle East, and another miracle to heal our own culture. Let us pray for these miracles. And, let us also pray for miracles in matters of healing and reconciliation among those private individuals we know and love, because ours is, indeed, a mighty and an awesome God.
"...the fall of communism took place without war..."
Pope John Paul II was one of many who played an important part in the fall of communism as we knew it in Russia and in Eastern Europe. We do not want to negate the influences of John Paul II or any of the many others. Yet there is one who many of us know had the greater influence on making that fall of communism inevitable - Ronald Reagan.
President Reagan's firm stand, from a position of determination and strength was absolutely necessary for all of the other influences, whether from John Paul II or any of the many others to have effect.
The Left does not yet want to recognize the greatness of Ronald Reagan, or of his presidency. Yet Ronald Reagan, more than any recipient in my memory deserves the Peace Prize - an honor that used to be an honor, until the whole Peace Prize process was hijacked by the Left.
Many of us, and I think rightly so, believe Ronald Reagan to be the greatest president of the past century. Perhaps one day his greatness will truly be recognized.
Having said that (and I am not a Roman Catholic), I found many great things about John Paul II that I admired. He was one of the worlds truly great men. If anyone should be sanctified in a Roman Church way, then this man should be. He portrayed a saint in his walk among us - in God's eyes, as a believer in Jesus Christ, as one washed by His blood, he is already a Saint. God's Word says so.
I second that motion.
The Church would call these saints (or holy people) the Church Militant, while the saints in heaven are refered to as the Church Triumphant. There are many more saints in heaven than the canonized saints. The purpose of canonization is for public veneration of the saints. Canonization also assures us that these saints are in heaven and can receive our requests for prayer.
there isn't some class of higher achievers or something.
Well, there are degrees of heavenly bliss, according to one's level of sanctity. Otherwise, God would not be just.
When we disagree where does the Bible tell us to go? "To the Church," which the Bible calls the "pillar and foundation of truth."
As "the pillar and foundation of truth," the Church which Christ established has the authority to communicate to us the fact that some saints have reached heaven.
When you find the doctrine of "the Bible alone" in the Bible, let me know.
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