24634: Nekita (comment) Remembering the Pope John Paul II

[sak-pase@bimini.ws]

Nlbo@aol.com


I was in Rome five years ago as a jubilee volunteer and got to be close to 
the pope mobile at St. Peterâs square and the altar while the 263rd pontiff 
presided over Holy week liturgies. I also got to see him inside St. Peter's 
basilica with thousands of priests during chrism mass of 2000 and for Way of the 
Cross at the Colosseum as well.  In other words I was very close to the pope for 
all the Holy week events at the turn of the millennium. I was in Rome the week 
before and after Easter. 

Holy week liturgies with the Pope and a mass at Waikiki  beach in Hawaii with 
the Hula dancers and all the Hawaiian cultural rituals and ornaments and 
everything else that goes on in a beach in Honolulu while mass is being held are 
two  liturgies that will always remain "glued" in my mind. 

Critics in the Haitian churches complain that I donât go to their masses. My 
dear friends, if you get to assist masses with the pope at St. Peterâs be it 
in the square or in the basilica, you wouldnât want to go to any other 
churches. If you go, you try to look for something closer to that liturgy.

The pope looked very frail five years ago.  I thought I was going to hear him 
die the minute I got back to the States. People who saw him ten years ago 
said the same thing.

But regardless of issues that one may have with the Catholic church, whether 
you are religious or not, you agree with all the Catholic dogmas or not,  the 
263rd  pope of the Catholic institution  is going to be remembered very 
differently from Pope John XXIII who initiated changes in the Church such as masses 
in the vernacular. Pope John Paul II canonized 482 saints, selected 232 
cardinals, many from Third World countries.  He was the first non-Italian pope since 
1522 and the most traveled pontiff in the history of papacy.

Rest in Peace Pope John Paul II
Nekita