Follow me
– this lapidary saying of Christ can be taken as the key to understanding the message which comes to us from the life of our late beloved Pope John Paul II. Today we bury his remains in the earth as a seed of immortality – our hearts are full of sadness, yet at the same time of joyful hope and profound gratitude.” – Homily (excerpt) of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger during the John Paul II funeral celebrations.
The funeral took place in the Vatican on Friday, April 8, 2005, six days after the death of the Pope. The funeral was one the largest gatherings of Christians in the history of the world. For the ceremony, 2-4 million people (some sources estimated 5 million pilgrims) came to Rome. Moreover, in many countries of the world, local funeral ceremonies were taking place. The funeral attended: 4 kings, 5 queens, in addition to 70 presidents of various countries from around the globe.
Follow me – this short call of Christ can be considered as the key to understand the message of life of our late beloved Pope John Paul II whose remains we bury …
