John Paul The Great
Pope John Paul II died April 2, 2005,
at 9:37 PM Vatican time, 1:37 PM Central time
Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson had
this to say about the passing of Pope John Paul II:
"Few popes in the 2,000-year history of
the Catholic Church have had so momentous an impact on the Church and
the world at large as the man we can now properly call John Paul the
Great. The 1.7 million members of the Knights of Columbus, who have had
the privilege of supporting him in so many ways over the past 27 years,
mourn his passing even as we recall the contribution of this
extraordinary and holy man.
(The full text of the Supreme Knight's
statement is at
www.kofc.org)
The Vatican announced that the vigil
mass of Divine Mercy Sunday was celebrated in the Pope's room at 8:00
PM, and that he also received the sacrament of the anointing of the
sick. John Paul II died at the end of the mass.
"Pope John Paul the Great" is a title
already being used by folks across the world, on Rome's streets, and in
the Vatican. The official text of Cardinal Angelo Sodano‘s Divine Mercy
Sunday homily called the late pope "John Paul the Great," although
Cardinal Soldano, a major Vatican official, said "John Paul II" when
reading his text.
President Bush plans to be in Rome
April 8, 2005, the first American president to be at a Pope's funeral.
Pope John Paul II taught the sanctity
of human life from conception to natural death. His death, during the
vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, contrasted sharply with a recent high-profile death in this country. That's what this month's
other article is about.
Brian H. Gill, Editor,
Sauk Centre K of C Bulletin |