VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI today approved a miracle attributed to Pope John Paul II’s intercession, clearing the way for the late pope’s beatification on May 1, Divine Mercy Sunday.
Pope Benedict’s action followed more than five years of investigation into the life and writings of the Polish pontiff, who died in April 2005 after more than 26 years as pope.
The Vatican took special care with verification of the miracle, the spontaneous cure of a French nun from Parkinson’s disease — the same illness that afflicted Pope John Paul in his final years. Three separate Vatican panels approved the miracle, including medical and theological experts, before Pope Benedict signed the official decree.
In 2005, Pope Benedict set Pope John Paul on the fast track to beatification by waiving the normal five-year waiting period for the introduction of his sainthood cause. That seemed to respond to the “Santo subito!” (“Sainthood now!”) banners that were held aloft at Pope John Paul’s funeral.
Six years and one month from death to beatification may not strike people as “subito,” but it will be a modern record in the church. For Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who was described by many as a “living saint” and for whom the waiting period was also waived, it took six years and one and a half months to complete the process.
According to the Vatican newspaper, it’s the first time in more than a thousand years that a pope will have beatified his immediate predecessor.
CNS Blog 
Great and loving Shepherd of the flock, Pope John Paul II, you personally lived in a very awfully inspiring and miraculous way the great Fatima Message, and through your unceasing devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary came to appreciate in every way humanly possible the urgency and significance of this message for the 21st Century faith of the Church. At this time when the whole world is once again drawn to the force and power of your commitment to the faith which Jesus Christ entrusted into your shepherding hands, and now more than ever united in intercession with the Our Lady of Fatima who was your closest confidant while you were here on earth, may the Church come face to face with the gentle personality of this woman, and by your intercession come to experience a renewal by the Holy Spirit which God has brought to us through the little children of Fatima. Amen
Iam filled with great joy in my heart because Pope John Paul deserves it. I have been following him since his childhood. All Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beggining is now and ever shall be world without end .Amen.
Please explain. Miracles are suppose to to edify god and god only. How does edifing Pope John Paul acomplish this?
I am very happy to hear that Pope John Paul II will be beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on May 1, 2011 at the Vatican. This will be a joyous celebration for all, and now we can all pray for Pope John Paul II to be canonized as a saint.
When will Pope Benedict XVI announce who will be canonized as saints in 2011? I am praying that Blessed Luigi Guanella will be canonized as a saint in 2011.
In life and in death, our Popes proclaim that message of our loving Saviour “Come, follow me.” Difficulties, sickness and age have not stopped them from reminding us of that invitation from above. Truly we are blest.
I observed a lot people have given their opinion in different ways at different blogs. First of all I give my Thanks to the Good Lord for giving each and every one the freedom to comment. I thought of expressing my view on this matter as well, although I do NOT have a PhD in religious affairs. Any way to remind everyone, it is the same freedom in the first place that allowed the man/woman to commit the first sin. Due to the limitless Kindness and forgiving nature of our Lord, he sent his own son as a sacrificial lamb to redeem the man kind from sin. This is the origin of Catholic religion and with time has deviated to other Christian religions to satisfy individual preferences.
Once the Catholic religion was established a leader called “Pope” was appointed to perpetuate the teaching of our lord Our Savior Jesus, and tailor the church according to the changing needs of the human society within the context of the teaching of our lord. There are many individuals that held this leadership. Pope John Paul II was one of them. He was just a human being like us, but blessed to be one of the leaders of the Catholic Church. During his leadership according to the legal investigations/media reporting, sadly there had been sexual abuse of children by priests of the Catholic Church. It is reported in the media these incidents were known by the pope and yet he allowed these priests to continue in their service. While I feel extremely sorry for the abused individuals and their families, for my analysis his decisions may have been based on the concept of forgiveness. However, his decisions in some cases with regard to these incidents did not give the anticipated results. This does NOT mean Pope John Paul II encouraged these priests to go on abusing children. It is reported that these abused individuals were financially compensated though money can NOT correct the wrong done on these individuals. I do NOT know as human beings how many of us make the correct decisions 100% of the time? Since the establishment of the church nearly 2000 years ago the Catholic Church had been challenged many times in many ways which I am not going to detail in here. The sexual abuse is the major challenge that the Catholic Church faces at the present time. As in the past I am confident that the Catholic Church will overcome these challenges with time because Our Savior Jesus had promised that he will stand behind the church till the end of the world.
Pope John Paul II and Saint Hood:
Due to the unlimited rewarding nature of the Good Lord on us, special places have been created in heaven for individuals who have contributed immensely to the welfare of the church or who followed the teachings of Our Savior Jesus. Once dead and taken into heaven in order to establish an individual as a saint there are established protocols in the Catholic Church. Performance of a miracle with the intersession of an individual is a key requirement for consideration of an individual for sainthood. Catholics try to follow the good deeds of the saints as well as honor the saints and request special blessings through these saints intersession for their needs. The saints can perform miracles according to the degree of faith of an individual. Faith is the key to miracles as once Our Savior Jesus himself has said “faith healed you “after performing many miracles.
I am very thankful to the Good Lord to hear this great news of Pope John Paul II coming close to receiving saint hood. I have been praying for Pope John Paul II’s sainthood and to invoke his blessings in my life matters. When I made the most wrong decision in my life and lost my job and subsequently my faith, and finding a job appeared to be an insurmountable task through the intersession of these prayers I was able find a decent job and my faith back. More ever, I feel that I am being guided by the saintly power of Pope John Paul II in my day to day matters. The most memorable and joyous day in my life will be the day when I can write” Saint John Paul II.”
I hope this explanation may help to understand the functioning of the Catholic Church and overcome some of the myths surrounding the Catholic Church.
Sincerely,
Lawrence
16_January_2011
Ray,
You are right. Only God can perform miracles. A saint’s intersession can be requested for a miracle from God the almighty by praying to a saint. If one is granted a miracle by praying to an individual in heaven he is a saint. Therefore, as evidenced by the cure of a nun from Parkinson’s (miracle) through the intersession of Pope John Paul II, he is a saint. Of course according to the procedures of the church 2 miracles are required.
I hope this answers your question.
Sincerely,
Lawrence
It is truly amazing what the power of prayer can do and we can only wait to see if there is a second miracle. I heard that there is a church in Poland that already has a relic of his blood so would assume all are looking towards to positive aspect of it occuring.
Blessed John Paul II’s path to Sainthood on ABS-CBN. Witness his beatification on TV
http://lopezlink.ph/csr/1767-blessed-john-paul-iis-path-to-sainthood-on-abs-cbn-
Tribute to the Beatification of Pope John Paul II
After all much trouble in finding reasons why I still loved… I still believed… I still hope? It is just only now that had it became clear!
I remember during my radical youth where alongside philosophy and Marx’s I was engrossed with Pope John Paul encyclicals Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason), Gaudium et Spes (Light of the Nations), Dei Verbum (Word of God) and other including an exhortation about the role of the Laity and the Media in this modern world of which I cannot now remember the title (nor am I certain about the latin titles and english translation I have given above was accurate).
I only have vague recollection of the content of those exhortations but though unconsciously, only now in HIS Beatification that it dawn on me the reason why I still persist even against the indifference of the society in general and the realization of my own weakness and follies are His Holiness.
His writing, His Life of Service for Christ and of HIS Church, His unending and undying efforts for peace among nations and equality among men. From the holocaust to the Cold War to the internal affair of Poland up the Gulf War his boldness of words and deeds shaken the 20th century and will surely echoes through the 21st and beyond.
He may have died not nailed on the cross like the Master HE had served so dearly. But His life of Service to HIM and to HIS Church had Pope John Paul II nailed in the hearts of us… notwithstanding creed or nationality…
His Voice of Peace in this troubled world is a light that broke the yoke of war and uncertainties of spirituality in action.
God had chosen Him to be His priest, His prophet and His Saint we can only but pay tribute to the works of the Holy Spirit through His Life…
and from now on as my prayer this very night of Beatification had begun… my wondering was done…