| Pope John Paul II remembered around the World |
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Tens of thousands of pilgrims commemorated the first death anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s on Sunday, who died a year ago after a long and publicly fought battle with a series of illnesses.
Pope John Paul II, born Karol Józef Wojty?a (May 18, 1920-April 2, 2005) reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from October 16, 1978 until his death, making his the second longest papacy. He was the first Polish pope and the first non-Italian pope since the 16th century. His early reign was marked by his opposition to Communism, and he is often credited as one of the forces which brought about its fall. In the later part of his pontificate, he was notable for speaking against consumerism, unrestrained capitalism, abortion, cultural relativism and what he deemed as the "culture of death".
On May 9, 2005, John Paul II’s successor, Pope Benedict XVI waived the five year waiting period for a cause for sanctification to be opened.
Crowd of large number of people gathered in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City (Rome) on Sunday to mark the first anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II. People, carrying banners calling for his sainthood and some clutching candles, gathered to pay their respects to Pope John Paul II. The gathering looked like the days before his departure when pilgrims from around the world prayed underneath his studio.
John Paul’s longtime aide, Pope Benedict XVI, said the forefather had left an "immense" heritage to the church and to the world. Benedict said, "John Paul died as he lived, moved by an indomitable courage of faith." He described the dignity with which his predecessor faced his excruciation in the last years of his life.
A chorus sang hymns during a prayer vigil, Polish flags flickered in the zephyr, candles sparkled and the religious rite ended with a blessing by Pope Benedict XVI, following a moment of silence at 9.37pm the exact minute of John Paul’s death. Before the day when John Paul slipped into a coma for two hours and died, he uttered his final words: "Let me go to the house of the Father."
The officials of Vatican City estimated between 100,000 and 150,000 people who attended the vigil and about 10,000 pilgrims came to the city from Poland, where John Paul was born and where anniversary memorialisations were also being held. Another 8,000 followers held an open-air ceremony in John Paul’s home town of Wadowice at noon.
A line of visitors waiting to tribute the regards at John Paul’s tomb - in a grot under St. Peter’s Basilica - spiralled through the square. The president of Italy, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, was one of the first to visit the tomb early Sunday morning.
Worldwide tributes paid to John Paul, by Catholics, exhibiting the widespread influence of the most-traveled pope in history. The Holy Highness visited Canada three times as pope. His final visit was during World Youth Day in July 2002. In spite of poor health, he flew to Toronto and come down from the plane under his own strength. Paul also had visited Mexico five times.
Benedict told the crowd in Square, "His illness, which he faced with courage, made us all aware of human pain, of every physical and spiritual pain; he gave suffering dignity and value, showing that man isn’t just worthy because of his efficiency and how he appears, but because of himself, because he is created and loved by God."
The followers exhibited their tribute through banners like: "Karol, we are here with you. We are here to thank you. We don’t forget you. You walk with us," and in Mexico City’s Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, followers held a banner that read "Juan Pablo II, God’s athlete." Group of Polish people carried a large banner that read "John Paul the Great Santo Subito."
Benedict said, "He continues to be present in our minds and our hearts; he continues to communicate his love for God and his love for man, he continues to arouse in everyone, especially the young, enthusiasm for goodness and the courage to follow Jesus and his teachings."
John Paul II received continual praise for his magnificent moral leadership in troubled times.
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