VIDEO MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE FRANCIS OF THE HOLY FATHER TO THE POLISH PEOPLE ON THE OCCASION OF CANONIZATION OF BLESSED JOHN PAUL II
Dear
countrymen of Blessed John Paul II!
And now,
we are close to the canonization of that great man and a great Pope who made
history by the name of John Paul II .
I am happy to have been called to proclaim his sainthood, in the next
Divine Mercy Sunday, at the conclusion of the Octave of Easter. I am grateful to John Paul II , like all members of the People of
God, for his tireless service, his spiritual guide, for having introduced the
Church into the third millennium of faith and for his extraordinary witness of
holiness.
Pope Benedict XVI has rightly noted, three years ago, on
the day of the beatification of his predecessor, that what John Paul II
called to all not to be afraid and to open wide the doors to Christ, he did it
first: "He opened himself to Christ the society, culture, political and
economic systems, reversing the strength of a titan – a force that came from
God - a trend that could seem irreversible. By
his witness of faith, love and apostolic courage, accompanied by great human
charisma, this exemplary son of the Polish nation has helped Christians around
the world not to be afraid to be called Christians, to belong to the Church, to
speak of the Gospel. In a word:
he helped us not to fear the truth, because truth is the guarantee of liberty
"(Homily , May 1, 2011). I identify fully with these words of
Pope Benedict XVI .
We all
know that before travelling the roads of the world, Karol Wojtyla grew up in
the service of Christ and of the Church in his native Poland. There he formed his heart, then the
heart grown to the universal dimension, before taking part in the Second Vatican
Council , and
especially after October 16, 1978, because it found a place in all countries,
languages and cultures. John Paul II has done everything to everyone.
I thank
the Polish people and the Church in Poland for the gift of John Paul II . We
have all been enriched by this gift. Pope John Paul II continues to inspire us. His words inspire us, his writings,
his gestures, his style of service. His
heroic suffering lived with hope inspires us. His total trust in Christ inspires us,
the Redeemer of man, and the Mother of God.
During
the recent visit ad Limina of the Polish Bishops , I pointed out that the Church in
Poland continues to have great potential for faith, prayer, charity and
Christian practice. I was also
relieved by the pastoral challenges such as the family, the young, the poor and
vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. I hope that the canonization of John Paul II , and also of John XXIII , give a new impetus to the daily and
persevering work of the Church in your country. I welcome the fact that, God willing,
in two years I will visit for the first time in your country on the occasion of
World Youth Day.
I
encourage everyone to live deeply the canonization of Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII . Some
of you will come to Rome, but thanks to the media many can participate in this great
event. So today I want to thank all the journalists from print, radio and
television for their service to the canonization next Sunday.
I greet
all the countrymen of John Paul II , even those who do not belong to the
Catholic Church. I carry you all
in my heart. God bless you all!
From the
Vatican, April 25, 2014
FRANCISCUS
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