Feast of Pope John Paul II

[raalongi]

I have always felt that the Feast of Pope John Paul ii should be celebrated on the Eave of Divine Mercy Sunday every year (the satuday in octive of Easter).

My reasons fior this are several. First of all, he passed away on April 2, 2005 which happened to be the eve of Divine Mercy that year. I truly believe that was not a coinsidence. Popde John Paul was a true advocate of the Divine Mercy. He both beatified and Canonized Sr. Faustina Kowalska, the foundress of the Divine Mercy devotion. He also declared that the Second Sunday of Easter would become known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Then why not make his feast day a movable one on the eve of the day that was of such importance to him???

I know what many people will say. Days in the Easter octive cannot contain any feast days. But why not make an exception for John Paul II. The Catholic Church made many other exceptions for other things, why not make one here. There would be no need to change any of the scripture readings for the day, just the prayers for the feast day

I doubt if this will ever happen because I heard his feast day was already set for sometime in October. I just thought I’d let people know about my idea to see what they think about it. Thanks.

 

[Joe_5859]

You’re right, the feast has already been set for October 22 (the date he was installed as Pope).

Of course, it’s not really up to us. I don’t think your rationale is bad, but I can think of many reasons why it would probably never happen, some of which you already said: it would make it a moveable feast during the Octave of Easter. I cannot think of any other saint that has a moveable feast day.

But, it’s pretty much a moot point now because the date has been chosen.

 

[twf]

You’re right, the feast has already been set for October 22 (the date he was installed as Pope).

Of course, it’s not really up to us. I don’t think your rationale is bad, but I can think of many reasons why it would probably never happen, some of which you already said: it would make it a moveable feast during the Octave of Easter. I cannot think of any other saint that has a moveable feast day.

But, it’s pretty much a moot point now because the date has been chosen.

Yes and the Church would never interfere with the Easter Octave - those 8 days are one solemn celebration of Our Blessed Lord’s resurrection - the greatest and most important feast of the Liturgical calendar…NOTHING can interfere with that…

 

[Elizium23]

Yes and the Church would never interfere with the Easter Octave - those 8 days are one solemn celebration of Our Blessed Lord’s resurrection - the greatest and most important feast of the Liturgical calendar…NOTHING can interfere with that…

Well, she interfered with the Octave of Pentecost, her own birthday… but I suppose you’re right

And we should also step back a bit and ask ourselves whether we suffer from recentism: we all vividly recall Bl. John Paul the Great while he was still alive, and this may prejudice us a bit on the subject of his importance; in 100 years, will he still be the greatest saint of our time? What about 500 years?

 

[CB_Catholic]

Well, she interfered with the Octave of Pentecost, her own birthday… but I suppose you’re right

And we should also step back a bit and ask ourselves whether we suffer from recentism: we all vividly recall Bl. John Paul the Great while he was still alive, and this may prejudice us a bit on the subject of his importance; in 100 years, will he still be the greatest saint of our time? What about 500 years?

Who cares? He’s important to us now, and just when we need his example. That is God’s provision to us. God will provide for what they need in 100 or 500 years. That is the way it has always been–God provides the leaders we need for his Church at any given time in history. So we rejoice and celebrate what God has given us for now. We don’t need to ask ourselves if we suffer from “recentism”. What is important is how he led us and guided us as a Church in our times. It doesn’t matter if someone else is “more important” in the future. That does not change one thing about the now.

 

[Elizium23]

Actually we should be very careful about recentism. There is typically a moratorium observed between the death of a person and the opening of their cause for sainthood. The primary purpose of this is to insulate the process from the emotional feelings that come from knowing this person in life. It is a guard against recentism. If the recently deceased was sufficiently holy, then his cause can wait ten years or so without any damage. As you know, popular opinion caused the Holy Father to waive this requirement for John Paul the Great (santo subito!)

My other point is that the Church takes the long view when doing such things as assigning calendar dates. She knows in her wisdom that saints will be on that calendar for many hundreds of years after we’re all dead, so she is extremely judicious when placing new celebrations. To the Church, “we need it right now now now!” is entirely the wrong approach, because by the time she wants to, say, change the feast day to something else, the custom is already ingrained in the memories of the faithful, and we will strongly resist any change. Just look at the upheaval caused by the General Roman Calendar reform of 1969. People panicked: St. Christopher no longer a saint? St. Katherine of Alexandria gone? And the Church all but admitted that she was a bit too hasty: Katherine was restored to her original feast day in 2005.

So yes, we really do have to plan for the next 100 or 500 years when assigning a feast day. And messing with the Octave of Easter certainly isn’t the answer, as has been outlined above.

 

[raalongi]

Let me ask why there cannot be any feast days celebrated during the octive of Easter???

There are four (4) feast days celebrated during the ocive of Christmas plus two (2) optional memorials:
Dec. 26 - St. Stephen, the First Martyr (Feast)

             Dec. 27 - St. John, Apostle & Evangelist  (Feast)

             Dec. 28 - The Holy Innocents, Martyrs (Feast)

             Dec. 29 - St. Thomas Becket, Martyr (Optional Memorial)

             Dec. 31 - St. Sylventer, Pope (Optional Memorial)

             The Sunday in Octive of Christmas - The Holy Family (Feast)

Now why can there be so many feast days during the Christmas Octive but none allowed during the octive of Easter??? If this be the case, abolish all feasts during the Christmas octive as well.

WHERE IS THE LOGIC HERE???

 

[LilyM]

Let me ask why there cannot be any feast days celebrated during the octive of Easter???

There are four (4) feast days celebrated during the ocive of Christmas plus two (2) optional memorials:
Dec. 26 - St. Stephen, the First Martyr (Feast)

             Dec. 27 - St. John, Apostle & Evangelist  (Feast)

             Dec. 28 - The Holy Innocents, Martyrs (Feast)

             Dec. 29 - St. Thomas Becket, Martyr (Optional Memorial)

             Dec. 31 - St. Sylventer, Pope (Optional Memorial)

             The Sunday in Octive of Christmas - The Holy Family (Feast)

Now why can there be so many feast days during the Christmas Octive but none allowed during the octive of Easter??? If this be the case, abolish all feasts during the Christmas octive as well.

WHERE IS THE LOGIC HERE???

Easter is simply more important than Christmas. Easter is the culmination of the salvation story. Many people are born, but only one saved us by rising from the dead.

This relative importance is shown in the fact that both the lead up to Easter (Lent) and its ‘season’ (Eastertide which lasts until Pentecost) are substantially longer than Advent and the Christmas season which lasts until the feast of the Epiphany.

 

[theyoungmonk]

Let me ask why there cannot be any feast days celebrated during the octive of Easter???

There are four (4) feast days celebrated during the ocive of Christmas plus two (2) optional memorials:
Dec. 26 - St. Stephen, the First Martyr (Feast)

             Dec. 27 - St. John, Apostle & Evangelist  (Feast)

             Dec. 28 - The Holy Innocents, Martyrs (Feast)

             Dec. 29 - St. Thomas Becket, Martyr (Optional Memorial)

             Dec. 31 - St. Sylventer, Pope (Optional Memorial)

             The Sunday in Octive of Christmas - The Holy Family (Feast)

Now why can there be so many feast days during the Christmas Octive but none allowed during the octive of Easter??? If this be the case, abolish all feasts during the Christmas octive as well.

WHERE IS THE LOGIC HERE???

as well as the fact that the Easter Octave is more important look at the feasts in the Christmas Octave. they are all very important above that of most others, st. Stephen is the first Martyr and has a certain eminence. St. John is an apostle, the Holy Innocents are intinsicly linked with Christmas. St. Thomas used to be one of the most major saints, espeacilly in England, here he still has a feast rather than a memorial.

 

[twf]

as well as the fact that the Easter Octave is more important look at the feasts in the Christmas Octave. they are all very important above that of most others, st. Stephen is the first Martyr and has a certain eminence. St. John is an apostle, the Holy Innocents are intinsicly linked with Christmas. St. Thomas used to be one of the most major saints, espeacilly in England, here he still has a feast rather than a memorial.

Yes, we have to remember that Easter is so central to the Liturgical year (its pinacle in fact), that each of the eight days of the Octave is celebrated as a full solemn feast… Christmas is the second greatest feast, but Easter far surpasses it. One cannot compare any other week with the Easter Octave…it is a completely different ballgame. The passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord is the very heart and centre of the entire Christian mystery!