Venerable John Paul the Great to be Beatified

Vivificat - From Contemplation to Action ^ | 14 January 2011 | TDJ

[Teófilo]

Laudetur Iesus Christus!

Brethren, this, according to the Associated Press via YahooNews:

VATICAN CITY – The pope on Friday signed off on the miracle needed for the beatification of Pope John Paul II, and set May 1 as the date to honor one of the most beloved popes of all times as a model of saintliness for the church.Pope Benedict XVI said in a decree that a French nun's recovery from Parkinson's disease was miraculous, the last step needed for beatification. A second miracle is needed for the Polish-born John Paul to be made a saint.

The May 1 beatification, which Benedict himself will celebrate, is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Rome — a major morale boost for a church reeling from a wave of violence against Christians and fallout from the clerical sex abuse scandal.

Once he is beatified, John Paul will be given the title "blessed" and can be publicly venerated. Many people, especially in Poland, already venerate him privately, but the ceremony will make it official.

"This is a huge and important cause of joy," Warsaw Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz told reporters at his residence in the Polish capital.

Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, John Paul's longtime secretary and friend, expressed "huge thanks" to Benedict for the decree. "We are happy today," he said.

Benedict put John Paul on the fast track to possible sainthood just weeks after he died in 2005, responding to the chants of "Santo Subito!" or "Sainthood immediately!" that erupted during his funeral.

Benedict waived the typical five-year waiting period before the process could begin, but he insisted that the investigation into John Paul's life be thorough so as to not leave any doubts about his virtues.

The last remaining hurdle concerned the approval by Vatican-appointed panels of doctors and theologians, cardinals and bishops that the cure of French nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, was a miracle due to the intercession of John Paul.

The nun has said she felt reborn when she woke up two months after John Paul died, cured of the disease that had made walking, writing and driving a car nearly impossible. She and her fellow sisters of the Congregation of Little Sisters of Catholic Maternity Wards had prayed to John Paul, who also suffered from Parkinson's.

Read it all here.

Commentary. I rejoice at this news! Praised be Jesus Christ! I've never had any doubt that Pope John Paul the Great rightly deserves the honors of the altar. He did so much to steer the Church away from the extremes interpretations and reactions to the Second Vatican Council, by placing dissenters on their proper place, destroying the claims of the "alternative magisterium" and being a primary actor in the fall of communism that, like Popes Gregory and Leo long before him, will earn John Paul the title of "Magnus" - The Great.

Beatification and a canonization are actions of the ordinary magisterium of the Church and therefore protected by the charism of infallibility. The Holy Father Benedict XVI has so decided. A beatification is not an "imprimatur" on every action that the Pope made or failed to do and I am very aware that many openly blame him for doing "nothing" during the height of the sexual abuse scandal by priests and religious.

I contend that we will never know what he actually did or failed to do on the basis that we will never have available to us the information that he had, nor his deepest reasons for all his decisions in this crisis. While I recognize the anger, scandal, and dejection many feel against Pope John Paul the Great in the context of this crisis, I counter that their strong feelings are not evidence against the Venerable John Paul's personal, heroic sanctity shown throughout his entire life. I also warn that those who question the late Pope's virtue and heroic sanctity are in danger of presumption and perilously close to judging the late Pope's soul.

The Venerable Pope John Paul the Great will be beatified and that's that. I rejoice at the news. I pray for his full canonization. He deserves it, as well as the title "The Great" which will be granted not by papal bestowal, but by the ever increasing proclamation of the Universal Church.

May the intercession and example of the soon-to-be blessed, Pope John Paul, The Great, always remains with us. Santo subito! May Jesus Christ be praised in his martyrs and his saints.

[Teófilo]

Blunders. Typos. Mine.

[dartuser]

I'll be the first to admit I don't understand Catholic mysticism at all ... but could someone answer some simple questions concerning this.

Is JP in purgatory now? If he is, and he is made a saint, does that usher him into heaven immediately? When exactly does that happen? Can departed Catholics in purgatory hear your prayers?

I have been a non-Catholic all my life and Im sure the answers will generate more questions. I do not understand how Catholics think about these things at all ...

[NoKoolAidforMe]

Only God knows where JPII is right now. The man was truly holy, and I do not doubt he is in heaven. As for him becoming a saint, that has no bearing on God’s judgement of him. It is an earthly recognition of a man who exemplified a good life.

None of us know if the dead hear our prayers whereever they are. It is through what Catholics believe as the Mystery of Faith that prayers are heard. The Mystery of Faith fills the gap between what we as humans understand as scientific facts and the spiritual existence.

The simple answer is that there is no simple answer. Being a Catholic requires faith to explain those things that cannot be rationally explained.

Hope this helps.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

Posted elsewhere -

I really wish they wouldn’t refer to him as “the Great.”

I don’t believe he would be comfortable with that appellation.

JP II “The Beloved” is more appropriate, I think.

[Juana la Loca]

1) No, JPII is not in purgatory. He is in heaven

2) The actions of the Church, or beatification, does not usher an individual into heaven. That is God’s job. The Church is making a formal announcement of the revelation that JPII is in heaven. When did JPII move from purgatory to heaven? The answer to that question is not known.

3) People in purgatory cannot hear your prayers, but you can offer prayers for people in purgatory.

[massgopguy]

AND I’M GONNA NEED’EM!

[Teófilo]

I'll be the first to admit I don't understand Catholic mysticism at all ... but could someone answer some simple questions concerning this.

This has nothing to do with Catholic "mysticism" at all, but with an ecclesiastical procedure that allows Catholics to remember this man yearly, to ask his intercession, and to praise and emulate his example. But if you want to know more about Catholic mysticism proper, you can start here.

Is JP in purgatory now? If he is, and he is made a saint, does that usher him into heaven immediately?

A beatification is a declaration that a person is among the just. Those in Purgatory are among the just so in principle, it makes no difference if he has been admitted to the Beatific Vision ("heaven") or not. However, it can be argued that we pray for a soul in purgatory, and ask the prayerful intercession of someone who has been beatified or canonized, so the implication is that the person in question is in fact, beholding God in heaven.

The declaration of canonization or beatification doesn't "promote" the person in heaven, but in a sense, promotes the person "on earth," in the eyes of the faithful. There are thousands of saints in heaven, most of whom have not been canonized nor do they need to be in order to enjoy the Lord's presence.

When exactly does that happen?

We can't directly know until "after the fact." The proof lies on the miracle brought about by the candidate's intercession.

Can departed Catholics in purgatory hear your prayers?

Good question. My personal, private opinion is a qualified "yes", provided that we pray *for* them, not *to* them.

I have been a non-Catholic all my life and Im sure the answers will generate more questions. I do not understand how Catholics think about these things at all ...

I'll attempt to answer all the questions you may have, or send you to those who know more when I can't.

Yours in Christ,
-Theo

[magritte]

There are no answers to your questions, just speculation...I never got any straight answers about it in my former Cathloic life either.. Sainthood is like the Catholic Hall of Fame...full of the great players in Catholic history...just a recognition of their contributions to the faith...magritte

[dartuser]

1) No, JPII is not in purgatory. He is in heaven

How do you know?

When did JPII move from purgatory to heaven? The answer to that question is not known. 3) People in purgatory cannot hear your prayers

How did he hear the person who prayed for a miracle? Since the miracle was actually performed, is that "proof" that he moved from purgatory to heaven, since now he can hear the prayers and respond to them now?

[dartuser]

The declaration of canonization or beatification doesn't "promote" the person in heaven, but in a sense, promotes the person "on earth," in the eyes of the faithful.

Ah ... I see. Thanks for the clarification, that removes lots of assumptions on my part.

[Juana la Loca]

Because, beatification requires proof of a miracle through the candidate’s intercession (unless the candidate for sainthood was martyred) and proof that the candidate’s life was exemplary. Christ’s Church as formally acknowledged both of these and we get to celebrate that fact on May 1.

[dartuser]

Because, beatification requires proof of a miracle through the candidate’s intercession

and since the candidate cannot hear prayers in purgatory, the miracle itself is 'proof' that the candidate has departed purgatory and is now in heaven. Is that correct?

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thanks for polite, intelligent, and honest questions.

I see that several other FReepers have answered them, so I need not jump in. (Although I'm the President of the Department of Redundancy Department President.) But if you have any other questions, please launch them my way if you wish: maybe I can help.

[Juana la Loca]

You got it!

[Mrs. Don-o]

"...and since the candidate cannot hear prayers in purgatory, the miracle itself is 'proof' that the candidate has departed purgatory and is now in heaven. Is that correct?"

It's more accurate, I think, to say it's proof that God wants this servant of His to be honored, since it's God who actually wills and does the healing or whatever the miracle was.

[Salvation]

Vatican to encourage greater caution in opening sainthood causes
Pope clarifies Church’s traditions, norms for canonization; announces new instruction
They Need A Miracle Will a future pope relax the rules for sainthood?
Role of Miracles In Sainthood Eyed
Saint-making Pope is ready to ditch the miracle clause
Contribution to a Canonization
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: The Canonization of Saints: Current Canonization Process, Biblical Description of Miracles

[Salvation]

Please read up on the canonization process links I just posted. You don’t seem to have the entire picture.

And you are always a Catholic once you are baptized as a Catholic.

We welcome you back.

[Salvation]

I belieave the souls in Purgatory do hear our prayers. But can they intercede for anyone — resulting in a miracle such as the one accredited to Pope John Paul II.

I’m basing my statement about hearing the prayers while in Purgatory by stories from Maria Simma’s “Get Us Out of Here” book on Purgatory.

The souls that were prayed for go to meet those people (newly deceased) who prayed for them while they were still suffering souls in Purgatory.

A most interesting book by the way, and I’ve read only part of it.