John Paul II to be beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on the Feast of Divine Mercy

Beatification of the Servant of God John Paul II

By Deacon Keith Fournier
1/18/2011
Catholic Online (http://www.catholic.org/)


CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) - On April 2, 2005 at 9:37 p.m. the Venerable Pope John Paul II died. In April of 2009 his beloved successor, Pope Benedict XVI, told Pilgrims gathered in Rome "With you, I pray for the gift of beatification". That prayer has been answered. Friday, January 14, 2011 the Holy See released the "Decree for the Beatification of the Servant of God John Paul II."

The choice of the Feast of Divine Mercy, May 1, 2011 is not accidental. He had a deep devotion to his fellow Pole Sr. Faustina Kowalska and to the Divine Mercy devotion identified with her. In August 2002, in Lagiewniki, Poland where Sr. Faustina lived and died, John Paul II entrusted the entire world "to Divine Mercy, to the unlimited trust in God the Merciful."

He will be raised to the Altar on the Feast of Divine Mercy and the faithful will call him "Blessed John Paul II."