Benedict XVI to celebrate Mass for anniversary of JPII's death [CNA]

[CNA_News]

Vatican City, Mar 23, 2010 / 10:52 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict will celebrate a Mass on Monday, March 29, marking the fifth anniversary of the death of Venerable John Paul II. The late Pope’s death, at the age of 84, occurred on April 2, 2005 after battling Parkinson’s disease.

Full article…

 

[Holly3278]

Cool. I will try to catch this Mass on EWTN.

Okay, I have a question for the rest of you. Since Pope John Paul II was declared venerable, is this a statement of fact by the Magisterium that Pope John Paul II is in Heaven? I personally believe that he is in Heaven but I am unclear as to what the status of venerable means exactly other than the fact that he is worthy of veneration.

 

[rlg94086]

Cool. I will try to catch this Mass on EWTN.

Okay, I have a question for the rest of you. Since Pope John Paul II was declared venerable, is this a statement of fact by the Magisterium that Pope John Paul II is in Heaven? I personally believe that he is in Heaven but I am unclear as to what the status of venerable means exactly other than the fact that he is worthy of veneration.

I’m no expert, but I think beatification is recognition of someone’s ascension to heaven, whereas venerable just means the Church recognizes their virtuous existence when they were on earth.

This is not to say that JPII isn’t in heaven. The Church only recognizes ascension into heaven - it doesn’t decide who ascends.

 

[Marie5890]

Venerable means the Church recognizes and declares that the person has lived a life of heroic virtue.

 

[pnewton]

I look forward to it. I will always remember Pope Benedict’s first papal address when he acknowledge his predecessor’s accomplishments by calling him Pope John Paul the Great and the throngs of people who saved the “Saint Soon” signs.