Masses of thanksgiving follow canonization of two Pontiffs

April 28, 2014

On the day after the canonization of Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II, two Masses of thanksgiving were held in Rome.

In St. Peter’s Square, Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the archpriest of the Vatican basilica, presided at a Mass of thanksgiving for the canonization of John Paul II. The congregation was made up largely of pilgrims from Rome, and Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, the former secretary to Pope John Paul II, welcomed his countrymen before the Eucharistic ceremony.

In his homily, Cardinal Comastri spoke of how St. John Paul II had devoted himself to the defense of human life and the strengthening of marriage and the family. He also spoke of the late Pontiff’s love for young people and his special devotion to the Virgin Mary.

In the church of San Carlo, in the center of Rome, Bishop Francesco Beschi of Bergammo presided at a Mass of thanksgiving for the canonization of John XXIII. The church of San Carlo was chosen because it was there that the future saint was ordained as a bishop. The congregation—drawn largely from Bergamo, where St. John XXIII was raised and ordained to the priesthood—heard bishop Beschi speak on the “obedience to the Spirit” that prompted Pope John XXIII to convene the Second Vatican Council to renew the Church.

 

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Further information:

• Masses of thanksgiving for Saints John XXIII and John Paul II (Vatican Radio)
• Mass of Thanksgiving for the Canonization of John Paul II (VIS)