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1. I welcome this long awaited news. John Paul II is my ‘ideal’ priest and who eventually became a pope. My father admired him so much that he chose his name for one of my sons. Now, I never get tired of reading about him. In his life, God has given him all the gifts and talents, charismas but by the time he became a pope he didn’t have any immediate family member left. But because of who he was, he had the world and many Catholics and even non-Catholics who became his family (like family) who openly cried when he passed away.
   He had all the characteristic of a good Shepherd who imitates Jesus Christ. He was an inspiring Leader; people looked up to him with admiration and affection, man of courage, love and goodwill towards all people. His warmth, openness, his delight in people, easy natural manner. Prayer was the core of John Paul’s life and his great devotion to Our Blessed Mother. Brilliant mind, rare intellectual, won may friends with simple act of kindness, practical man.
   We should all imitate him as he was a good example.
   

   Posted By: Betty

2. I met Dr Wanda Poltawska in 2005, the woman who has written the controversial book recounting the correspondence she had with Pope John Paul over a period of 50 years.
   Wanda Poltawska assisted the Pope when he was a young bishop in Poland, with his family ministry in Krakow.
   Bishop Wojtyla interceded for Dr Poltaska with Padre Pio in 1962, when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The woman, a survivor of Ravensrbruck concentration camp, was healed miraculously.
   She and her husband Andrei regularly stayed with him at Castelgandolfo during their summer holidays, and are the Polish husband and wife team on the Pontifical Council for the Family (as Ron and Mavis Pirola are the Australian couple).
   In the light of such connections, I don't think one could say their close friendship was an exaggeration.

   Posted By: Andrew Rabel

3. Why the hurry? I think it is a dangerous to establish a precedent whereby the rules for canonisation are set aside in the case of a particular individual ... oh, but then, this particular individual set aside the rules for a few other individuals ... In any case I would be very surprised if the process is completed yet - there are the thorny problems created by what is becoming known about what John Paul did and did not do with regard to the apalling revelations of child abuse from 1979 up to 2003. His successor was effectively left to clean up the mess. Personally I find it distressing and less than edifying that Pope John Paul did not seek to remedy what Benedict described as "the filth in the church". The revelations about more than a few bishops and the Legionnaires of Christ point to serious problems in the appointment of key figures in the Church during the last papacy. Let the traditional process take its course - if God wants John Paul to receive the "honours of the altar" it will happen. So, again, what's the hurry?

   Posted By: Paul O'Shea

4. I can't believe that the worst pope in history is being considered for sainthood. He is guilty of heresy after heresy. The number of Catholics attending mass has decreased while he was the pope, and has continued to decrease. He was the one who allowed girl servers, communion in the hand, lay deacons, etc. The attrocities that occured during his so-called World Youth Days, are too terrible to mention. He allowed a statue of Buddah to be placed on the tabernacle. He allowed himself to be anointed with cow dung by a protestant priestest. He has prayed with voodoo priests, animal worshipers, and other heretics and schismatics, which have always been condemed by the church. He has had clowns acrobats, and rock musicians at his so-called "masses". He has preached in protestant churches, Jewish synagogues, and participated in Ismal services. But not once has he ever allowed or had a traditional Latin Mass.
   He has allowed the protestant pagan masonic services to be held in every church in the world and has done absolutely nothing about it. He has allowed Catholic tradition and dogma to be pushed aside.
   All of you misguided and liberal Catholics who think JPll was so wonderful, tell me just one thing that he has ever done that has made the Catholic church better. Everything, such as mass attendance, vocations, etc., has gone down. But the number of annulments under his watch, has increased dramatically. JPll- the great apostate!

   Posted By: wayne

5. God is ever good to his people at every age. He came into the world to meet us as individuals in our lives daily. This is easilyy seen in his apostles and disciples of our days. John Paul II was a special one indeed among God's apostles. In the words of St Paul and the teachings of the Church, he was all things to all men except in sin. His priestly life was an exemplary one. He left in the sands of time an indelible mark which very many of us Christians pray to practice and have the opportunity too, to exercise such love of God to others daily in our lives. We look forward into seeing his beatification and canonization soonest.
   Rev Fr Paul Ikechukwu Ogujioffor, S.P.S. Okigwe.

   Posted By: REV FR PAUL IKECHUKWU OGUJIOFFOR

6. How come John Paul ll was preaching that man is God - The Doctine of Antichrist - right in the vatican?
   This fits the Bible's definition of Antichrist. 1 John 2:22, 1 John 4:2-3

   Posted By: Victor Domen

7. The correspondent 'Wayne' is the Devil's Advocate, right?

   Posted By: Cas

8. I think it would be prudent to wait a 100 years. Why the hurry!

   Posted By: david anthony davies

9. I would very definitely prefer that any beautification or canonisation take place at least two generations after death. This would give time for "the dust to settle" and for any news/rumours, etc. to surface

   Posted By: gloria healey

10. JPII must have done something right. The greatest argument for his holiness is the fact that he is hated so irrationally by extremists on both sides. He wasn't perfect, but may I point out that none of the saints, all the way back up through to St Pius V, St Thomas Becket, St Augustine, and St Peter himself, were free from fault, let alone error.

    Posted By: Adeodatus

11. If and when Pope John Paul II is ever beatified, and if the ceremony is held in Rome, then the mayor of Rome would no doubt be consulted in organising the event. He would certainly not “play a pivotal role” in it. And he would have no more idea than you or I as to whether or when the late Pontiff might be beatified. Don’t hold your breath; I remember the secular “experts” telling us, shortly after Pope Benedict’s election, that John Paul II would be canonised within 6 months of his death!

    Posted By: Peter G

12. I think Adeodatus is right, but the integrity of the process would be enhanced by forbidding the canonisation process of a previous pope to be completed until at least, say, 20 years (maybe more) after their death. This would reduce the possibility of a previous pontificate overshadowing later ones, and of any suggestion that appointees of a previous pope are unduly beholden to their former patron. I know it seems harsh, but it would be a good rule for the future.

    Posted By: jd

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