Has John Paul II been canonized?

[Katrina5]

I am wondering how I missed this event. Has John Paul II been canonized a saint? People are calling him John Paul the Great. I thought we had a Pope Benedict XVI, and if so, he would be the one who canonized JP2. But it seems that some people think JP2 is still pope even though he died. Has he risen from the dead? Is he the Last Pope? I am a practicing Catholic but our priest has never mentioned this. I read our Catholic paper, subscribe to Catholic magazines, watch EWTN. EWTN calls JP2 “The Great,” so is he a saint or not? I have been a Catholic for 60 years, but the things people write on CAF have made me reconsider if I want to be Catholic anymore.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

I suspect that you are asking rhetorical questions, but here are the answers:

• No, John Paul II has not yet been canonized.
• Yes, Benedict XVI is the current pope.
• No, John Paul II hasn’t risen from the dead.
• No, John Paul II isn’t “the Last Pope.” (If Benedict XVI is the current pope, then John Paul II couldn’t have been the last pope.)

It seems you have misunderstood the title “the Great.” It is a title that is usually given by popular acclaim, and is intended as a mark of respect and admiration for a great and holy pontiff. Even Pope Benedict XVI said of John Paul II when he ascended the throne of Peter:

Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble laborer in the vineyard of the Lord (emphasis added).

That you would say that “the things people write on CAF have made me reconsider if I want to be Catholic anymore” is the real issue, I suspect. I don’t know what is troubling you, but it is a mistake to allow other people’s opinions to determine your allegiance to Christ and his Church.