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When John Paul II died, the Camerlengo [[Eduardo Martínez Somalo]] removed the Pope's [[Ring of the Fisherman]] from his finger, then ceremonially crushed it with the ceremonial silver [[hammer]] in the presence of members of the [[College of Cardinals]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4451483.stm |title=Europe &#124; Pontiff's seal and ring destroyed |work=BBC News |date=16 April 2005 |access-date=5 May 2009}}</ref>
When John Paul II died, the Camerlengo [[Eduardo Martínez Somalo]] removed the Pope's [[Ring of the Fisherman]] from his finger, then ceremonially crushed it with the ceremonial silver [[hammer]] in the presence of members of the [[College of Cardinals]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4451483.stm |title=Europe &#124; Pontiff's seal and ring destroyed |work=BBC News |date=16 April 2005 |access-date=5 May 2009}}</ref>


While his predecessors had been [[embalming|embalmed]] after death, the Vatican claimed that Pope John Paul II was not embalmed and [[lying in state|lay in state]] without normal treatment for preservation, which is evident by the grey colour taken on by the body. Also, it was customary for popes to have their organs removed after death. [[Pope Pius X]] ended this practice during his reign, and the wish of some Poles that John Paul II's [[heart]] be buried in [[Poland]] was not obliged.<ref name="CNN050404"/>
While his predecessors had been [[embalming|embalmed]] after death, the Vatican claimed that Pope John Paul II was not embalmed and [[lying in state|lay in state]] without normal treatment for preservation, which is evident by the grey colour taken on by the body. Also, it was customary for popes to have their organs removed after death. [[Pope Pius X]] ended this practice during his reign, and the wish of some Poles that John Paul II's [[heart]] be buried in [[Poland]] was not obliged.<ref name="CNN050404"/>[[File:Body of John Paul II Daniel Scioli.jpg|thumb|The body of Pope John Paul II exposed to the faithful in the [[Vatican Basilica]].]]

===Exposition and lying in state===
[[File:Body of John Paul II Daniel Scioli.jpg|thumb|The body of Pope John Paul II exposed to the faithful in the [[Vatican Basilica]].]]
John Paul II's body was clothed in the familiar white [[Cassock|soutane]], over which was placed a plain white [[alb]]. A [[Stole (vestment)|stole]], the symbol of ordained ministry, was placed around his neck. Over the inner vestments, John Paul II was clothed in a red [[chasuble]]. An ancient [[Byzantine]] custom, red is the colour of mourning for Popes. Around his collar, the [[pallium]] of white lamb's wool was draped. A white [[zucchetto]] and a white bishop's [[mitre]] adorned John Paul II's head. In his arm rested [[Pope Paul VI|Paul VI]]'s pastoral cross-staff, used by popes in place of the [[crozier]]. His hands clasped a [[rosary]].

===Mass of Repose===
===Mass of Repose===
A first Mass of Repose, such as is offered for anyone [[baptism|baptised]] in the Catholic Church, commemorating the sending of the soul to God, was led by Cardinal [[Angelo Sodano]], [[Cardinal Secretary of State]], on 3 April 2005, the day after the death of the Pope. That Sunday service coincided with the celebration of the Feast of Divine Mercy, a memorial feast instituted by Pope John Paul II himself.<ref name="Homily">{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/gpII/documents/sodano-suffragio-jp-ii_20050403_en.html |title=Eucharistic Concelebration for the Repose of the Soul of Pope John Paul II: Homily of Card. Angelo Sodano |date=3 April 2005 |publisher=[[Holy See|The Holy See]] |access-date = 10 February 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081225040959/https://www.vatican.va/gpII/documents/sodano-suffragio-jp-ii_20050403_en.html |archive-date=25 December 2008 |df=dmy }}</ref> The service was followed by the recitation of the [[Regina Caeli]], at which [[Archbishop]] [[Leonardo Sandri]], [[Secretariat of State (Holy See)|Substitute of the Secretariat of State]] read out the words that John Paul II himself wrote for the occasion and was due to recite.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/angelus/2005/documents/hf_jp-ii_reg_20050403_divina-misericordia.html ''Regina Caeli'', 3 April 2005]</ref>
A first Mass of Repose, such as is offered for anyone [[baptism|baptised]] in the Catholic Church, commemorating the sending of the soul to God, was led by Cardinal [[Angelo Sodano]], [[Cardinal Secretary of State]], on 3 April 2005, the day after the death of the Pope. That Sunday service coincided with the celebration of the Feast of Divine Mercy, a memorial feast instituted by Pope John Paul II himself.<ref name="Homily">{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/gpII/documents/sodano-suffragio-jp-ii_20050403_en.html |title=Eucharistic Concelebration for the Repose of the Soul of Pope John Paul II: Homily of Card. Angelo Sodano |date=3 April 2005 |publisher=[[Holy See|The Holy See]] |access-date = 10 February 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081225040959/https://www.vatican.va/gpII/documents/sodano-suffragio-jp-ii_20050403_en.html |archive-date=25 December 2008 |df=dmy }}</ref> The service was followed by the recitation of the [[Regina Caeli]], at which [[Archbishop]] [[Leonardo Sandri]], [[Secretariat of State (Holy See)|Substitute of the Secretariat of State]] read out the words that John Paul II himself wrote for the occasion and was due to recite.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/angelus/2005/documents/hf_jp-ii_reg_20050403_divina-misericordia.html ''Regina Caeli'', 3 April 2005]</ref>

Revision as of 03:37, 11 January 2023

Death and state funeral of Pope John Paul II
The body of Pope John Paul II lying in state
Date
  • 2 April 2005; 19 years ago (2005-04-02) (death)
  • 8 April 2005; 19 years ago (2005-04-08) (funeral)
Location
ParticipantsThe College of Cardinals (led by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger), various dignitaries worldwide

On 2 April 2005, Pope John Paul II died at 84 years old. His funeral was held on 8 April, followed by the novendiales devotional in which the Catholic Church observed nine days of mourning.[1]

In February 1996 Pope John Paul II had introduced revisions to papal funeral ceremonies, including changes to repose and burial formalities. These revisions were enacted through the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici gregis, and applied to his own funeral.[2]

Pope John Paul's funeral was the single largest gathering of heads of state outside the United Nations,[3] surpassing the 1965 state funeral of Sir Winston Churchill and the state funeral of Josip Broz Tito in Belgrade in 1980 (superseded by the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony). Nine monarchs, more than seventy heads of government, and at least fourteen leaders of other religions attended.[4] It is likely one of the largest single gatherings of Christianity in history, with more than four million mourners gathering in Rome in the wake of his death.[5][6][7]

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople was in the honorary first seat in the section reserved for churches not in full communion with Rome. This was the first time an ecumenical patriarch attended a papal funeral since the East–West Schism.[8]

Bishops around the world celebrated memorial masses to coincide with the funeral in Vatican City. Protestant and Eastern Orthodox leaders, as well as representatives and heads from Judaism, Islam, Druze[9] and Buddhism, offered their own memorials in sympathy with Catholics.

Death

On 2 April 2005, Joaquín Navarro-Valls, director of the Holy See Press Office, announced that John Paul II had died on this day, at 84 years old, at 9:37 p.m. in his private apartment.[10]

Rite of papal death

When John Paul II died, the Camerlengo Eduardo Martínez Somalo removed the Pope's Ring of the Fisherman from his finger, then ceremonially crushed it with the ceremonial silver hammer in the presence of members of the College of Cardinals.[11]

While his predecessors had been embalmed after death, the Vatican claimed that Pope John Paul II was not embalmed and lay in state without normal treatment for preservation, which is evident by the grey colour taken on by the body. Also, it was customary for popes to have their organs removed after death. Pope Pius X ended this practice during his reign, and the wish of some Poles that John Paul II's heart be buried in Poland was not obliged.[1]

The body of Pope John Paul II exposed to the faithful in the Vatican Basilica.

Mass of Repose

A first Mass of Repose, such as is offered for anyone baptised in the Catholic Church, commemorating the sending of the soul to God, was led by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Cardinal Secretary of State, on 3 April 2005, the day after the death of the Pope. That Sunday service coincided with the celebration of the Feast of Divine Mercy, a memorial feast instituted by Pope John Paul II himself.[12] The service was followed by the recitation of the Regina Caeli, at which Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, Substitute of the Secretariat of State read out the words that John Paul II himself wrote for the occasion and was due to recite.[13]

Rite of Visitation

Pope John Paul II's body is laid in St. Peter's Basilica for private visitation by Vatican officials and foreign dignitaries. Among the Americans in the photograph are then US President George W. Bush, his father George H. W. Bush, his wife Laura Bush, and former president Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Andrew Card.

The body of John Paul II was dressed in his vestments and moved to the Clementine Hall on the third level (considered the second floor) of the Apostolic Palace on 3 April.[1] His body was laid on a sloped olive-sheeted catafalque and his head propped on a stack of three gold pillows. Near the catafalque was a wooden crucifix and a paschal candle symbolic of Jesus Christ as the light of the world in the face of darkness and death.

By 6 April, a million people had seen John Paul II's remains lying in state in St. Peter's Basilica. An estimated total of four million people, in addition to the over three million residents of Rome, were expected to make the pilgrimage to see the Pope.

Requiem Mass

The Papal gentlemen carry the coffin into St. Peter's Square. Standing in the front row are, from left to right, President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan (represented as China), First Lady Marisa Letícia da Silva and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Georgi Parvanov of Bulgaria, President Borislav Paravac of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and First Lady Elvira Salinas de Mesa and President Carlos Mesa of Bolivia.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger celebrated the Mass of Requiem on 8 April at 10:00 am CEST (08:00 UTC), by virtue of his office as Dean of the College of Cardinals.[14]

Processional

The placement of the Book of the Gospels by Archbishop Piero Marini (left) and Konrad Krajewski (right) upon the casket of Pope John Paul II, a typical act during the funeral of a Catholic bishop.

As the Mass of Requiem began, the doors of St. Peter's Basilica were locked with dignitaries asked to stand outside the church. Only the College of Cardinals and the patriarchs and presiding metropolitans of the Eastern Catholic Churches were allowed inside for a private ceremony in which John Paul was placed in a cypress coffin, the first of three.[15] Before being laid in the coffin, Archbishops Marini and Stanisław Dziwisz had the honour of placing a white silk veil over the face of the pope (a tradition started by Leo XIII). It was his last official act of service to the pope as his papal secretary.[8]

The front of St. Peter's Square was filled with cardinals, bishops, priests, and foreign dignitaries

Homily

After kissing the text of the Book of the Gospels, Cardinal Ratzinger stood before the congregants to offer the homily which included references to the life and service of Pope John Paul. He spoke in Italian, first greeting the many political figures and religious leaders that had gathered, and then told the story of how the young Karol had answered the Lord's call, and became a priest after the persecution of the Nazis, the answer of the command: "Follow me!" Cardinal Ratzinger also told of John Paul's life as a bishop, cardinal, and pope, frequently applying scripture to the pope's life. Finally, he told of the pope's devotion to Mary and the Divine Mercy of Christ. The cardinal's last words were about the end of Pope John Paul II's life: 'We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the eternal glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ."[16]

Some construed the ending of the homily to mean that the pope had already entered into heaven, and had become a saint.[17]

Borne on the shoulders of the Papal gentlemen, the coffin of Pope John Paul II is taken from the altar for the Rite of Interment. Archbishop Piero Marini, then-Master of Pontifical Liturgical Ceremonies, preceded the casket.

Rite of Interment

The people of Poland had wished for the heart of John Paul II to be removed from his body and transferred to Wawel Cathedral to be buried alongside the greatest of Poland's monarchs and National heroes. Cardinal Martínez Somalo said that the request would not be obliged, as per the dead Pope's wish not to have any parts of his body removed during preparation for the funeral.[18]

Pope John Paul II was buried at 2:30 pm Vatican time in this simple underground crypt according to his wishes. His remains were removed from this crypt in 2011 in preparation for his beatification.

Cardinal Martínez Somalo, Camerlengo of the Roman Church, then presided over the Rite of Interment. It was a private service witnessed only by the highest-ranking members of the College of Cardinals. As is custom, Pope John Paul II was entombed in three nested coffins. The cypress coffin was sealed and tied with three red silk ribbons.[19]

The unified coffin was lowered into the ground, as the Pope requested, and covered with a plain stone slab featuring his name and dates of his pontificate. Pope John Paul II asked that his burial be like that of Pope Paul VI, not in an elaborate sarcophagus and ornate above-ground tomb, but in "bare earth". His remains lay in this tomb for six years before it was exhumed to prepare for his beatification in 2011.[20]

Dignitaries

Main article: List of dignitaries at the state funeral of Pope John Paul II
Dignitaries from around the world pray during the funeral; as seen: King Albert II & Queen Paola of Belgium, Prince Henrik of Denmark, President Jacques Chirac of France and Ms. Bernadette Chirac, President Jorge Sampaio of Portugal, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush of the United States, President Arnold Rüütel of Estonia, and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines

Before the College of Cardinals could offer official customary invitations to the various heads of state and government, over 200 foreign officials had expressed their desire to attend the Mass of Requiem. 18 international organizations and 112 countries attended the event. A total of 10 royal guests, 70 heads of state and government and 15 former leaders were present. Among the most familiar faces worldwide were the President of the United States and two former presidents of the United States, the Prime Minister of Italy, the current and former Presidents of Brazil, the current and former Presidents of Poland, the President of France, the President of Ireland, the Taoiseach of Ireland, the King and Queen of Spain, the King and Queen of the Belgians, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Chancellor of Germany and the President of Germany, future King Charles III of the United Kingdom (who was the Prince of Wales at the time; he postponed his wedding to Camilla Parker-Bowles by 24 hours, to attend), the Prime Minister of Canada, the King and Queen of Jordan, the President of Afghanistan, and the Vice-President of India. International representatives included the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Also attending were Mohammad Khatami of Iran and Israeli President Moshe Katsav. Kings and Queens from Denmark, Sweden and Norway were also present.

The dignitaries were seated alphabetically according to the French spelling of their country's name and arranged according to diplomatic protocol, with Sovereigns taking precedence over elected heads of state and seated in the front row. The largest delegations were the Italian (sitting in the first honorary seats were the President of Italy and other high Italian dignitaries) and Polish ones. As such, Israeli President Moshe Katsav sat only two seats away from the president of Iran amidst strained relations. Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe defied a European Union travel ban to attend the funeral. Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian made an unprecedented appearance and was seated in the front row as the head of state of China, due to the existence of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Republic of China. The People's Republic of China was not invited to the funeral and protested to Italy for allowing Chen passage to the Vatican. Altogether, the Mass of Requiem was deemed at the time to be the largest gathering of heads of state in world history, exceeding the gathering at the state funeral of Sir Winston Churchill in London in 1965 and the state funeral of Josip Broz Tito in Belgrade in 1980. Some of the dignitaries, including German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain[21] who attended the funeral also attended the installation Mass for Pope Benedict XVI on 24 April 2005.

Novendiales

Controversies

One of the most controversial honourees was cardinal Bernard Francis Law, Archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, scheduled to preside a novendial on 11 April. During his tenure as Archbishop of Boston, cardinal Law was accused of having mishandled cases of sexual abuse at the hands of diocesan priests. The event sparked the nationwide Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal in the dioceses of the United States.[22]

Several members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) flew to Rome to protest saying Cardinal Law's place of honour was painful to sexual abuse victims and embarrassing to Catholics. Just as the group's members arrived at St. Peter's Basilica, led by founder Barbara Blaine, police officers escorted them outside the confines of St. Peter's Square. Blaine was unable to pass out fliers to people walking into the Mass offered by Cardinal Law.[22]

Blaine had earlier told reporters in a press conference, "We are the sons and daughters of the Catholic family who were raped, sodomized and sexually molested by priests. At this time, we should be able to focus on the Holy Father's death, instead of Cardinal Law's prominence."[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "CNN Transcript from 4 April 2005". Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  2. ^ "Universi Dominici gregis". Archived from the original on 6 May 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  3. ^ "The Ultimate Photo Shoot". Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  4. ^ "Pope John Paul II buried in Vatican crypt-Millions around the world watch funeral". CNN.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2008.
  5. ^ "Millions mourn Pope at history's largest funeral". London: The Independent. 8 April 2005. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2008.
  6. ^ Holmes, Stephanie (9 April 2005). "City of Rome celebrates 'miracle'". BBC News. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  7. ^ "Pope John Paul II Funeral". Outside the Beltway. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  8. ^ a b "American Morning report, April 8, 2005". International Wire. 8 April 2005. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  9. ^ Greetings by Pope Benedict XVI to religious leaders in the Galilee
  10. ^ "Pope John Paul II Dies at 84". ABC News. 2 April 2005. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  11. ^ "Europe | Pontiff's seal and ring destroyed". BBC News. 16 April 2005. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
  12. ^ "Eucharistic Concelebration for the Repose of the Soul of Pope John Paul II: Homily of Card. Angelo Sodano". The Holy See. 3 April 2005. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  13. ^ Regina Caeli, 3 April 2005
  14. ^ "Chicago Tribune". Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  15. ^ "BBC 8 April 2005". BBC News. 8 April 2005. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  16. ^ "Funeral mass of the Roman Pontiff John Paul II: Homily of His Eminence Card. Joseph Ratzinger". Holy See. 8 April 2005. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  17. ^ Wakin, Daniel J. (12 April 2005). "Cardinals Lobby for Swift Sainthood for John Paul II". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  18. ^ Tomov, Nikola. "Preserving the Pontiff: an Account of the Body Preservation Methods Used by the Roman Catholic Church" (PDF). Acta Morphologica et Anthropologica. 25 (1–2): 117–121.
  19. ^ "World | Europe | Pope buried in St Peter's crypt". BBC News. 8 April 2005. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
  20. ^ Willey, David (13 April 2005). "World | Europe | Venerable resting place for the Pope". BBC News. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
  21. ^ "Mass Held to Install Pope Benedict XVI". The Washington Post. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  22. ^ a b c "BBC: Victims protest against Rome Mass". BBC News. 11 April 2005. Retrieved 4 March 2008.

Further reading

External links

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