John Paul II teaches us that in a difficult time we can and should, first of all, return to God – said Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz in Łagiewniki, Kraków. The personal secretary of St. John Paul II celebrated a holy Mass at the 6th anniversary of his canonization.
John Paul II was canonized by Pope Francis on April 27, 2014. His beatification process began nine years earlier, excluding the traditional five-year waiting period. The beatification of the Polish Pope took was carried out on May 1, 2011 by Benedict XVI.
Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz returned to these events in his memory. He said that Pope Francis “ultimately fulfilled the fervent desire of the people of God to proclaim as a saint the Pope, who for more than a quarter of a century led the Church on its path to eternity, at the turn of the second and third millennium of the Christian faith.”
In his opinion, the anniversaries and events related to the life and teachings of John Paul II encourage the creatively undertake the spiritual heritage of the Polish Pope. – It is and it will continue to be our privilege, duty, and responsibility to pass this story to a new generation of Poles, – added the Cardinal. He continued that the Holy Father “continues to be and is deeply present in the life of today’s Church, inspiring millions of Christ’s disciples throughout the world with his teaching and holiness.”
The personal secretary of St. John Paul II emphasized that John Paul II’s long and extraordinary pontificate marked the life of the modern Church and influenced the fate of many nations, “especially in the part of the world which for decades has been affected by the burden of totalitarian ideology and the communist system.” – We realize that in a great extent we owe to the holy Pope the gift of regained freedom and sovereignty, the opportunity to shape our today and tomorrow. ” – he said.
Cardinal Dziwisz also said that John Paul II “accompanies us at a difficult time of the pandemic”. – John Paul II teaches us that at a difficult time we can and should, first of all, return to God – he explained. He recalled that the Pope, on the threshold of the third millennium, encouraged to go to the depths of faith, hope and love. – Now it’s time to take on this challenge and to live through this difficult time in God’sway, looking deeper and wider, also expanding the spaces of our hearts, so that none of those waiting for our support go unnoticed, but experienced solidarity and received help – The Cardinal pointed out.
The Krakow metropolitan senior said that the coronavirus epidemic had “already ruined the happiness of many families, caused the death, illness and suffering of many of our brothers and sisters; many lost jobs and feelings of security.” – And, we know that this is not the end. Despite this we do not lose hope – he said, stressing that today the source of hope and strengthening is “the hardship and dedication of countless people, including in Poland, standing on the front line of the fight against the epidemic, trying to secure the existence of our families and the entire society”.
