Posted on 09/30/2013 6:55:29 AM PDT by FewsOrange
Pope John XXIII, the pontiff who called the landmark Second Vatican Council, and Pope John Paul II, who crisscrossed the globe during his 26 years as leader of the Roman Catholic church, will be declared saints next spring, Pope Francis has announced.
The announcement of the date for the canonisations had been expected since July, when Francis approved a second miracle attributed to John Paul, clearing the path for the fastest canonisation in modern times.
During a meeting with cardinals inside the Apostolic palace on Monday, the pope revealed that the canonisations would take place on 27 April next year.
When his predecessor, Benedict XVI, began John Paul's beatification process a month after the Polish pontiff died in 2005, the Vatican said the usual five-year waiting period was to be waived because of "exceptional circumstances".
...
Francis's decision to canonise John XXIII even though the Italian pope has been credited with only one miracle since his death in 1963 is also unusual.
However, observers have noted that Francis – whose young papacy has been characterised by its warmth and informality – has much in common with the pontiff fondly nicknamed "Good Pope John". John XXIII was also fond of late-night strolls around Rome and pastoral visits to sick children and prison inmates.
And, in an interview with a US Jesuit magazine earlier this month, Francis said he intended to follow John XXIII's motto when it came to governing the church: "See everything; turn a blind eye to much; correct a little."
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"Vatican II was a re-reading of the gospel in light of contemporary culture," he said. "Vatican II produced a renewal movement that simply comes from the same gospel. Its fruits are enormous. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
I am not Catholic. So please excuse my ignorance. Why is this so important with so much news coverage? What does it mean to Catholics? Pope John Paul II was beloved. I understand that much, but what does being made a Saint actually mean?
It means you get your own “special day” and recipes to go with it.
(in before the Catholic bashing)
CC
too late..
Used to take a long time (hundreds of years, with people to argue against sainthood), now they seem to take somebody well-known and say "he seems like nice guy, lets saint him. And he's a nice guy too, lets saint him as well."
CC
"The most scandalous charges were suppressed; the Vicar of Christ was only accused of piracy, murder, rape, sodomy and incest."
Oh, you mean the other one.
How Many Miracles are Required to Canonize a Saint?
Saints [Catholic, Orthodox, Open]
SAINTHOOD 101: Rules for Becoming a Saint [Catholic Caucus]
The Process of Becoming a Saint (Canonization) [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Lists Criteria for Causes of Canonization
Here's the thing. Saints are made Saints only by the Lord God. The Church doesn't make a Saint. It can only declare a person a Saint...and in so doing the Church then holds this Saint up as a model of virtue for the rest of us to learn from.
I'm a Catholic and have been for all my 55 years. I'm not overly impressed with canonizations but I do honor those canonized for their great virtue and holiness.
No we’re referring to the real Pope...not the 17 year old anti-pope.
Thanks, Salvation. You’re a very big help in my quest to understand. I appreciate you.
Oh, no. Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to start a bashing. My question was serious and well intentioned. Recently, I was horrified and ashamed to find out that I did not know that the Catholic Bible is different from the Protestant Bible. I know more about Judaism than my fellow believers. I have been on a quest to rehabilitate my pathetic ignorance. There is just no excuse.
I was making a light hearted joke. Sheesh.
By the way, Antipope John xxiii was 30 when elected during the Western Schism. You're thinking of John xii, elected as a teenager during the Iron Age of the Papacy. He's the one who died in bed with a married woman either of heart attack or by the hands of her husband. He's considered one of the unbroken line of "real" popes.
I remember, as if it were yesterday, lying in my bed at a remote Air Force radar site in the territory of Alaska, listening to AFN when the news was announced that the Church had a new pope — John XXIII.
The reason I remember is that I always listened to a radio program that started with the haunting melody of Maurice Ravel’s ‘Pavane for a dead princess’.
CC
Okay. That makes good sense. So is a Saint simply (not meaning "merely" but rather "essentially") a role model or is (s)he more than that? Do Catholics pray to Saints as portrayed in movies? Do they believe Saints have a special power or influence/favor with God/Christ? Is the Church's declaration of a Saint equivalent to a formal/official statement that (s)he is in Heaven with Christ?
For example, I recently learned where Scripture gives priests the power to forgive sins and assign penance. Previously, I scorned the idea as being inconsistent with Scripture.
(Courtesy ping to Salvation who is guiding my education in Catholicism very patiently.)
**Do Catholics pray to Saints as portrayed in movies?**
The movies tend to portray this in a leftist manner. A movie-goer never hears the words, “Saint ______________, pray for me.
That’s all we ask them to do. They have souls and are alive in heaven and pass our prayers on to Jesus. (As well as praying for us.)
Okay. Thanks.
How/why do people get nasty? Is it heated differences of opinion/interpretation or outright displays of hatred as with anti-semitism and anti-mormonism?
Is there a particular subject I should avoid to prevent starting such bashing? If you don’t want to share, I understand or if you want to answer privately, that’s cool also. I’m just curious.
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Of course.
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