John Paul II was ‘liberating restorer’ of Church--Pope Benedict XVI

[mdgspencer]

Benedict XVI hails Pope John Paul II as ‘liberating restorer’ of Church on his 100th birthday

John Paul II was a “liberating restorer of the Church” in the turbulent years after the Second Vatican Council, Benedict XVI has said in a letter marking the 100th anniversary of the saint’s birth.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

“The Polish pope had faced “an almost impossible task” when John Paul was elected to the papacy in 1978.”
…
“This feeling that nothing was no longer certain, that everything was questioned, was kindled even more by the method of implementation of liturgical reform. In the end, it almost seemed that the liturgy could be created of itself.”

 

[Emeraldlady]

What an uplifting and joyful tribute to Pope St John Paul II !! He in a lot of ways was a walking talking sacrament to many of us.

 

[OraLabora]

I regret that I never saw him in person when he visited Canada in 1984. Alas I was outside the Church then in my fundamentalist atheist days. Still even in those days I admired him, especially when he visited and forgave his assailant in prison. It’s not for nothing that he’s a saint! And who can ignore his role in bringing down communism?

I redeemed myself for never seeing him live by travelling to Rome and seeing Benedict XVI and Francis both twice… ironically, both for the first time in their year of election.

I’ve been alive starting late in the reign of Pius XII. I rejoice that while I’ve disagreed quietly with some things from most popes, none of them in my lifetime have been scoundrels, something not always true in Church history. But St. JP II… well he was larger than life and fully merits the crown of sainthood.

 

[Emeraldlady]

I regret that I never saw him in person when he visited Canada in 1984.

When he came to Australia in 1986 I was a volunteer crowd usher. I was quite disappointed that my position was right at the back of one section of the stadium during the Mass so a long way away from the Pope. However, when Mass ended all the volunteers were called down to the front and the Pope gave us a special blessing and chatted with some as he was driven around to greet all of us. It was an exquisite experience. Like being proposed to!

 

[stpurl]

I saw him in Boston in 1979; this predates the ‘glass’ Popemobile so he was literally just a few feet away from me as he slowly passed by (“social distance” measurement today).

Of course it was a rainy day but most of us huddled under ponchos. It was also very hard to see but believe it or not in order to get a better view another girl and I were helped by our beaus up onto PortoO-Potties. It may not have been the most distinguished or dignified venue but we had a terrific view of the Mass!