With Pope Francis out of the hospital, John Paul II’s final years come to mind

With Pope Francis out of the hospital, John Paul II’s final years come to mind

“How did he look?” That was the question people would ask, for years, every time I attended a papal event. The pope in those days was John Paul II, who had the looks of a leading man and the gait of a star athlete when he was elected and kept them both for well over a decade. John Paul II had an appendectomy in October of 1996 (a little less than a year before I moved to Rome), but would not be hospitalized again until February of 2005, even tho…

VATICAN CITY- With Francis convalescent of his serious respiratory problems and as uncertainty grows as to how or if he wants to continue with his pontificate, this Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of the death of St. John Paul II, who suffered illness and suffering until the end of his days. The image of the sick Polish pope, unable to speak despite the efforts in the window of his apartment in the pontifical palace for the blessing of Resu…

Polish talent foundation 'best living monument' to St. John Paul II 20 years after his death - The Leaven Catholic Newspaper

During his pilgrimage to Poland in 1999, St. John Paul II highlighted the stark contrasts in living conditions across the country, pointing out challenges faced by many families in small towns and villages. The post Polish talent foundation ‘best living monument’ to St. John Paul II 20 years after his death appeared first on The Leaven Catholic Newspaper.

On April 2, on the twentieth anniversary of John Paul II's death, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin will celebrate mass in St. Peter's Basilica. The Eucharist will begin at 3:00 p.m. Then, at 9:00 p.m., a prayer vigil will begin in St. Peter's Square, as every year. It always gathers hundreds of representatives of the Polish clergy and the Polish diaspora in Rome, as well as pilgrims. The article Cardinal Pietro Parolin will cel…

On April 2, 2005, after two months of tribulation, Karol Wojtyla passed away. His two successors proclaimed him blessed in 2011 and a saint in 2014, but the storm of abuse hit his memory. In Gian Franco Svidercoschi's latest book a complete portrait with unpublished testimonies