Posts Tagged ‘Pope John Paul II’

Turkish pope-shooter wants to meet Pope Francis

Friday, November 21st, 2014

The man who tried to assassinate  John Paul II wants to meet Pope Francis during the Holy Father’s November 28-30 visit to Turkey. “I had met with a pope before. It is quite normal to meet with him (Pope Francis) as well,” said gunman Mehmet Ali Agca in a written statement. In mentioning his first papal meeting Agca Read more

RIP Pope John Paul’s “contraceptive mentality”: 1979-2014

Tuesday, October 14th, 2014

The biggest news to come out of the bishops’ synod in Rome so far is the acknowledgement that when it comes to talking about issues of family and sexuality, language matters. Among the examples of “harsh” rhetoric that bishops discussed as doing more harm than good in terms of “inviting people to draw closer to Read more

US Jesuit penalised after liturgy with woman priest dies

Friday, August 15th, 2014

An American Jesuit who spent his last two years under restricted ministry after taking part in a eucharistic liturgy with a woman priest has died. Fr William Brennan, 94, died in a rest home in Wisconsin. A Jesuit for 75 years and a priest for 63 years, he was a former missionary in Belize and Read more

Miracles that led to Ss John XXIII, John Paul II

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

Floribeth Mora Diaz fought back tears on Thursday (April 24) as she claimed that the late Pope John Paul II had saved her from an inoperable brain aneurysm three years ago. Mora will be on hand at Sunday’s historic ceremony in St Peter’s Square as Pope Francis canonizes both John Paul and Pope John XXIII, Read more

Young man killed by falling cross that was built to honour JPII

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

A young man has been crushed to death after a 30-metre high cross built in northern Italy to honour Pope John Paul II fell down. The tragedy at Cevo, near Brescia, happened only three days before the late pope was to be canonised as a saint in Rome. The victim, Marco Gusmini, aged 21, was Read more

The holiness of papal saints

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014

‘Holiness, a message that convinces without the need for words, is the living reflection of the face of Christ’. Pope John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte (At the Beginning of the New Millennium). These words have always appealed to me, challenged me and inspired me to try to be a ‘living reflection of the face of Christ’. Read more

What the canonisations of two popes tells us

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014

Every spring in Rome, the big production is normally the Easter Mass celebrated by the pope. This year Easter remains the spiritual linchpin, but in popular terms it’s more like a warm-up act for next Sunday’s double-play canonisations of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. This will be the first time two popes have Read more

St Pius X Society questions John Paul II’s canonization

Tuesday, April 15th, 2014

The New Zealand branch of St Pius X is asking what the hurry is about in canonizing John Paul II. In a letter to all New Zealand priests, the Society acknowledges the popularity of John Paul II. It concedes John Paul II strongly defended the unborn and family life. However, the Society’s concern is the speed of Read more

NZ Church preparing to celebrate canonisation of 2 Popes

Friday, April 11th, 2014

Already plans are well underway inNew Zealand’s  cathedral churches to mark the canonisation of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II . The canonisations will take place at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome at 10am on 27 April, the Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday). The corresponding time here in New Zealand will Read more

Pope Francis: The one who unties knots?

Tuesday, March 11th, 2014
back to the future

This week we celebrate the first anniversary (13 March) of the election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis. But it is next month that we will witness an event that says more about what to make of him and what to expect in his Pontificate. In April, Pope Francis will beatify on the same day Read more