Beatification of Pope John Paul II

In January of this year, Pope Benedict XVI announced that the late Pope John Paul II would be beatified on May 1st in Rome. John Paul died in April of 2005, after serving 26 years as the head of the Church on earth. He will now be called “Blessed John Paul.”

Beatification is an official Church recognition of a person's entry into Heaven. What does it take to be beatified? Normally, five years must have passed since the death of the candidate, although for John Paul, this waiting period was waived by Pope Benedict. Next, witnesses are called to testify about the candidate’s life of virtue, and documentation is given to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. An evaluation by theologians, cardinals, and bishops takes place, and a positive appraisal is presented to the Holy Father.

For beatification, a miracle credited to the intercession of the deceased person is necessary. The miracle must be verified through canonical investigation. This is where things stand in the case of John Paul II. For canonization – actually being named a saint – another miracle is required. The reasoning behind this requirement is that miracles prove that the saint is indeed in Heaven and capable of interceding for those who request help in prayer.

Most of the miracles in sainthood causes are healings. The miracle approved for Pope John Paul concerns a 49-year-old French nun who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Parkinson’s disease in 2001. After her order prayed to John Paul for help, Sister Marie-Simone was cured and able to resume her work as a maternity nurse.

The date for the beatification ceremony, May 1st, the Sunday after Easter, has been observed since 2000 as “Divine Mercy Sunday” by the Catholic Church. The Divine Mercy feast is associated with a 20th century Polish nun, St. Faustina Kowalska, to whom John Paul had a strong personal devotion. Her diary entries focused on God’s mercy and the call to practice mercy in our lives, something the previous pope strongly believed in and practiced. One of the most profound moments in the late pope’s life was his1983 meeting with his would-be assassin and the forgiveness he offered.

It is important to remember that when the Church beatifies or canonizes a person, it is not a declaration that that person was perfect in earthly life, or that their views or ideology reflected those of God! Rather, we honor the Church’s saints and blesseds because we see in them (and try to imitate) a holy response to God’s offer of grace.