Funeral of Pope John Paul II

The funeral of Pope John Paul II was held on 8 April 2005, six days after his death on 2 April. The funeral was followed by the novemdiales devotional in which the Roman Catholic Church and its Eastern Rite observe nine days of mourning.

On February 22, 1996, Pope John Paul II introduced revisions to the centuries-old ceremonies surrounding papal death, repose and burial. The revisions enacted through the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis applied to his own funeral.

Pope John Paul's funeral brought together the single largest gathering of heads of state in history, surpassing the funeral of Winston Churchill.

Coinciding with the funeral in Vatican City, archbishops and bishops at cathedrals throughout the world celebrated memorial masses for grieving Roman Catholics.

In a historical rarity, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Christian leaders, as well as leaders in Judaism and Islam, offered memorials and prayers of their own for their congregants sharing in the grief of Roman Catholics. The Archbishop of Canterbury was present at the papal funeral for the first time since the Church of England broke with the papacy in the 16th century. For the first time ever, the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, Patriarch Abune Paulos attended the Papal funeral.

It is thought that billions of people had watched the funeral either through actually being in Vatican Square, watching it on television live, or watching a taped version or replayed version later that day. The latter may be particularly true in the United States, where the funeral happened early in the morning and on a weekday. It is unknown whether the funeral of the pope was the most watched event in history, if so, it would overtake another funeral to hold that spot, that one being the funeral of Princess Diana.

Rite of papal death

Centuries of sacred rituals are set in motion upon the death of a pope. Such rituals are administered by the Cardinal Camerlengo.

When Pope John Paul II died, Camerlengo Eduardo Cardinal Martínez Somalo removed the Pope's Ring of the Fisherman from his finger. The Cardinal then ceremonially crushed the ring with the ceremonial silver hammer in the presence of members of the College of Cardinals.^* This is done to prevent the creation of forged, backdated documents, which would appear to have been approved by John Paul II.

After the ring's destruction, Cardinal Martínez Somalo cordoned off and placed wax seals on the entrances to the Pope's private bedroom and study. This tradition originates from ruthless cardinals looting the papal chambers upon the death of past popes.

The Pope's formal death certificate was signed by Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, Director of the Department of Health and Sanitation of Vatican City, on the evening of his death. Cardinal Martínez Somalo then ceremonially ordered the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, to summon the cardinals of the world to Vatican City to elect a new pope.

Some traditions were omitted, partly as a result of changes made by Pope John Paul II to the formula of rituals upon the death of a pope. One of these would have required Cardinal Martínez Somalo to tap the head of the pope with the ceremonial silver hammer, a practice that is believed to have ended some time ago. It remains customary for the Camerlengo to call out a pope's birth name three times, to ensure the pope has truly died.

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. Also, it was customary for popes to have their organs removed after death. Pope Saint Pius X ended this practice during his reign, and it appears that the wish of some Poles that John Paul II's heart be buried in Poland was not obliged.

Vestments

Pope John Paul II's body was clothed in the familiar white soutanne, over which was placed a plain white alb. A stole, the symbol of ordained ministry, was placed around his neck. Over the inner vestments, Pope John Paul II was clothed in a red chasuble. An ancient Byzantine custom, red is the old 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 Pope John Paul II's head. In his arm rested Paul VI's famous pastoral cross-staff, used by popes in place of the crosier. His hands clasped a rosary.

At first, he lay in state in his favorite pair of Polish-made brown leather shoes, an American size ten and a half, which he wore on his travels throughout the world. Later, following the example of his immediate predecessors, these were changed to plain red leather papal shoes.

Mass of Repose

The Mass of Repose, a sacred ritual offered to anyone baptized in the Roman Catholic Church, was led by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (future Pope Benedict XVI) on April 3, 2005. That Sunday service coincided with the celebration of the Feast of Divine Mercy, a memorial feast instituted by Pope John Paul II.

Cardinal Ratzinger stirred excitement by some devotees of the pope when in his published written homily for the Mass of Repose, he referred to Pope John Paul II as "the Great". This is remarkable as only three Popes in history (Pope Leo I, Pope Gregory I, and Pope Nicholas I) have been accorded this appellation. The appellation, though, was omitted from the spoken homily. The Mass of Repose, commemorating the sending of the soul to God, was followed by the recitation of the Regina Coeli.

Rite of Visitation

The body of Pope 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 April 3. His body was laid on a sloped olive-sheeted bed and propped on a stack of three gold pillows. Near the bed 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. His body was guarded by the Swiss Guard, a corps of men which has sworn to protect the pope through several centuries. During a period of private visitation Vatican officials and a contingent of officials from the Italian government viewed the body of Pope John Paul II.

On April 4, the body of Pope John Paul II was moved onto a red velvet bier, propped on three red pillows. The Papal Gentlemen, regaled in black morning coats and white gloves, were chosen as pallbearers and stood along the sides of the pope's bier. Cardinal Martínez Somalo, dressed in red and gold vestments, officiated the sprinkling rite. He blessed the pope with the holy waters of baptism three times: to the right of the pope, at his head and then to his left. An acolyte then brought to the camerlengo a thurible and boat. Cardinal Martínez Somalo incensed the pope three times.

A long procession was begun in order to transfer the body of Pope John Paul II from the Clementine Hall, through the colonnades of the Apostolic Palace and into St. Peter's Square among the waiting people. Traditionally, the pope's body is then brought to either St. Peter's Basilica or the papal cathedral, St. John Lateran Basilica. A procession of monks, priests and bishops paced slowly along a route towards St. Peter's Basilica. The College of Cardinals trailed by Cardinal Ratzinger and Cardinal Martínez Somalo followed them.

As the ritual dating back to the medieval era proceeded, Gregorian chants were sung by several religious orders with the people responding to each verse with the ancient Greek prayer, "Lord, have mercy" or "Kyrie eleison." The Litany of the Saints was sung. After each name of a martyr or saint was chanted, invoking his or her intercession between God and the people, participants in the procession sang the Latin words, "Ora pro eo," meaning "Pray for him." This is a departure from the traditional, "Pray for us" or "Ora pro nobis."

When the body of Pope John Paul II was hoisted upon the steps of St. Peter's Basilica, the Papal Gentlemen turned the bier and lifted the pope's head to face the tens of thousands of people that filled St. Peter's Square. Cardinal Martínez Somalo noted it as the pope's symbolic last look at the devoted followers that had filled St. Peter's Square throughout the papacy of Pope John Paul II.

The procession ended with the seating of the College of Cardinals and the placement of the bier carrying the body of Pope John Paul II on a catafalque in front of the steps leading to the altar of St. Peter's Basilica. The paschal candle was lit and the body of Pope John Paul II was incensed again by Cardinal Martínez Somalo. Prayers were said and a reading from the Gospels was performed by a deacon. After the College of Cardinals paid their respects and left the sanctuary, the basilica was closed and then reopened for the official lying in state to last until the day of the Mass of Requiem and subsequent interment.

Requiem Mass

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI led the Mass of Requiem on April 8 at 10:00am CEST (08:00 UTC), by virtue of his office as Dean of the College of Cardinals. He was also one of Pope John Paul II's closest friends and carried out most of the Pope's duties during his final illness. Concelebrating in the Mass of Requiem were the College of Cardinals (the number of members were present has been variously given as 157 and 164) and the patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches.

As the pope must be buried between the fourth and sixth day after his death, Friday was chosen as the last possible date. The mass at St. Peter's Basilica was the first Mass of Requiem for a pope to be televised live in almost every nation in the world.

The event had an estimated viewership of over 2 billion people; the Roman Catholic Church claims only 1.1 billion among its members. The funeral of John Paul II was by far the largest funeral in the history of the world. In lieu of a public viewing at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, as was tradition, immense digital screens instead broadcast the Mass of Requiem and subsequent Rite of Interment to people in the pope's cathedral church outside the confines of Vatican City. The same digital screens were hoisted at several sites in Rome, including the Circus Maximus, and at specially designated campsites outside the city for the millions of pilgrims who descended on the city.

The funeral was perhaps the most-watched live event in the history of television. People in the United States understood that the service took place during the early morning hours on their side of the Atlantic. Many people awoke in order to view the funeral, and others taped it for a historical record. In addition, several television networks in the Americas rebroadcast the funeral later in the day.

Processional

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 of the Eastern Rite were allowed inside for a private ceremony in which Pope John Paul II was placed in a cypress coffin, the first of three. Before being laid in the coffin, Archbishop Stanisław Dziwisz had the honor of placing a white silk veil over the face of the pope - his last official act of service to the pope as his papal secretary. The body was lowered into a cypress coffin, which served as the innermost coffin. Along with the body was a sealed document, the Rogito, a eulogy detailing the life and works of Pope John Paul II, read by Archbishop Marini and signed by those present during the funeral. Three bags containing gold, silver and copper coins were placed beside the body. Each bag contained one coin for each year in Pope John Paul II's reign, the only monetary compensation he received for his service as pope. After the private ceremony, the doors of St. Peter's Basilica were opened while dignitaries were seated. Cardinal Ratzinger and his concelebrants prepared for their procession from inside the basilica to a marble apron in the middle of St. Peter's Square where the Mass of Requiem was held.

The procession began with the introductory chant, "Requiem Aeternam" ("Eternal Rest Grant Him, O Lord"), which includes verses from Psalm 64 (65), "To You We Owe Our Hymn of Praise, O God of Zion." Carried on the shoulders of the Papal Gentlemen, the coffin bearing the image of Pope John Paul II's coat-of-arms burned onto the lid, the pope was carried into St. Peter's Square onto the marble apron. An acolyte holding a red leather-bound Book of the Gospel led the coffin. The Papal Gentlemen laid the coffin onto a red carpet directly in front of the altar.

Liturgy of the Word

The Liturgy of the Word began with a reading from the Acts of the Apostles, 10:34-43, read by Chilean Alejandra Correa in Spanish. The responsorial was Psalm 22(23). The second reading was read by John McDonald in English, taken from the Letters of Saint Paul to the Philippians, 3:20--4:1. It was entitled, "But our citizenship is in heaven." The reader ended by singing, "Verbum Domini" ("This is the Word of the Lord.") Congregants replied in chant, "Deo gratias" ("Thanks be to God.")

Congregants stood for the proclamation of the Gospel, hearalded by the singing of Alleluia. After being blessed by Cardinal Ratzinger, an English deacon of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, Paul Moss (who has now been ordained priest), processed with the Book of the Gospels to the ambo or lectern. He began by singing, "The Gospel according to John." Congregants replied, "Glory to you, O Lord." Moss then incensed the Book of the Gospel and then sang the reading in Latin. The reading came from John chapter 6, verse 40, stating, "For this is the will of my father that everyone who sees the son and believes in him may have eternal life." Moss then read from 15-19, which is an account of a dialogue between Jesus and Saint Peter. Jesus asked three times, "Do you love me?" He then told his disciple, "Follow me." The deacon raised the Book of the Gospel and sang, "Verbum domini" or "This is the Gospel of the Lord." Congregants replied in chant, "Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ."

Homily

After kissing the text of the Book of the Gospel, Cardinal Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI, stood before the congregants to offer his homily, similar to a sermon in the Protestant denominations, which included references to the life and service of Pope John Paul II. 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 final hours of Pope John Paul II:

None of us can ever forget how in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing Urbi et Orbi. We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father's house that he sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. 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.

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

Cardinal Ratzinger became emotional at certain parts of his homily, especially in reflection of the inability of Pope John Paul II to speak in the last days of his life. Altogether, the homily was interrupted approximately ten times with outbursts of applause by the congregants.

Nicene Creed sung in the Latin language followed the homily. The prayers of the faithful were offered in Italian, French, Swahili, Tagalog, Polish, German, and Portuguese.

Liturgy of the Eucharist

The part of the Mass of Requiem called the Liturgy of the Eucharist began. Cardinal Ratzinger and the concelebrating cardinals gathered around the altar to consecrate the bread and wine. Catholics believe that at the Consecration of the Mass (when the priest says "This is my body" and "This is my blood"), the substance of the bread and wine is changed into that of Jesus Christ. This change is called transubstantiation. Because the Church believes the Eucharist is really and truly Christ Himself under the appearances of bread and wine, Catholics worship Jesus in the Eucharist.

After the Eucharistic Prayer (the point in the Mass during which the Consecration occurs), the Lord's Prayer was sung followed later by the Latin anthem, "Agnus Dei". The Eucharist was then taken to the congregants in St. Peter's Square to be distributed among the faithful. As the congregation received the Blessed Sacrament, Psalm 129 (in some Biblical versions Psalm 130) was sung. Its lyrics proclaimed, "Out of the depths I cry to you O Lord, Lord hear my voice."

After the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the crowds in the streets of Vatican City burst into applause, waving flags and banners chanting, "Santo Subito!" which means "Saint now!" and "Giovanni Paolo Santo" or "Saint John Paul!". A few also repeatedly chanted "Magnus" or "Great", spontaneously declaring that he should be John Paul the Great.

Commendation

After the congregants received the most holy sacrament, Cardinal Ratzinger led the Rite of Final Commendation and Farewell. He asked the College of Cardinals and patriarchs of the Eastern Rite to converge on the casket of Pope John Paul II. The congregants were called to prayer, "Dear brothers and sisters let us entrust to the most gentle mercy of God, the soul of our Pope John Paul II." He continued, "May the Blessed Virgin Mary... intercede with God so that he might show the face of his blessed Son to our Pope, and console the church with the light of the resurrection."

The choir sang the Litany of the Saints; the same song was sung during the procession that transferred the body of Pope John Paul II from the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace to St. Peter's Basilica. Breaking with tradition for the sacred prayer, the names of the saints canonized by Pope John Paul II, such as Faustyna Kowalska and Josemaría Escrivá, were allowed to be included in the song. Names of saints included in the more traditional litany were also included along with the newer saints.

After the singing of the Litany of the Saints, the patriarchs, archbishops and metropolitans of the Eastern rites approached the coffin of Pope John Paul II for their own rituals of commendation and farewell. They incensed the casket and led each other into prayer. The Eastern patriarchs together with the entire College of Cardinals witnessed the sprinkling of the casket with the waters used in the sacrament of baptism. Incense was used once again, when Ratzinger, helped by an Italian deacon from the Pontifical Mayor Seminary in Rome, incensed and prayed for the dead Pope at the very end of the Mass. The Prayer of the Eastern Churches from the Office of the Dead of the Byzantine Liturgy was sung in Greek and in Arabic, ending with "Your memory is eternal, our brother, dignified with blessings and unforgettable."

The Mass of Requiem was officially ended with congregants standing, singing the words, "May the angels accompany you into heaven, may the martyrs welcome you when you arrive, and lead you to Holy Jerusalem."

The Papal Gentlemen carried the coffin of Pope John Paul II for interment. Cardinal Ratzinger handed over authority of the Rite of Interment to Cardinal Martínez Somalo.

Rite of Interment

The people of Poland had wished for the heart of Pope John Paul II to be removed from his body and transferred to Wawel Cathedral to be buried alongside the greatest of Poland's monarchs. Cardinal Martínez Somalo said that the request would not be obliged.

An underground grotto beside the former shrine of the now glass-entombed and preserved body of Blessed Pope John XXIII was chosen for the interment of Pope John Paul II. He was lowered into the vacant tomb that once held the remains of Blessed Pope John XXIII, who was moved by Pope John Paul II to the main floor of the basilica after his beatification. The College of Cardinals decided to keep the Pope beneath the altar of St. Peter's Basilica citing the possibility of future beatification and canonization into sainthood.

Pallbearers took the coffin through the Door of Death on the left side of the altar of St. Peter's Basilica. At that point a single bell tolled. The pallbearers took the coffin down the stairs near the statue of Saint Longinus at the base of the canopy of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. They lead down to the grottoes, a cemetery underneath the Basilica where Saint Peter is believed to be buried. After pacing through the low ceilings and long corridors, the pallbearers stopped at the crypt of Pope John Paul II.

Cardinal Martínez Somalo 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. ^* The cypress casket was lowered into a larger solid zinc (traditionally lead) casket, which was soldered shut. This coffin was adorned with three bronze plaques: a simple cross at the head of the coffin, a middle plaque with the Pope's name and the length of his life and pontificate, and a third with Pope John Paul II's personal coat of arms at the foot. The zinc casket was finally lowered into a larger walnut (traditionally elm) casket, bearing three identical plaques, which was shut with nails of pure gold. The middle plaques bear the following statement in Latin:

CORPUS IOANNIS PAULI II P.M.
VIXIT ANNOS LXXXIV MENSES X DIES XV
ECCLESIAE UNIVERSAE PRAEFUIT
ANNOS XXVI MENSES V DIES XVII

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 aboveground tomb, but in "bare earth" ^*.

Cardinal Martínez Somalo ended the Rite of Interment with the words, "Lord, grant him eternal rest, and may perpetual light shine upon him." Those present sang "Salve Regina" or "Hail Holy Queen."

Dignitaries

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. Among the most familiar faces worldwide were the current and former Presidents of the United States, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Chancellor of Germany, the Prince of Wales and United Nations Secretary-General. Also attending was Mohammad Khatami of Iran.

Khatami sat only two seats away from a traditional enemy of Iran, Israeli President Moshe Katsav. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe defied a European Union travel ban to attend the funeral. ROC President Chen Shui-bian made an unprecedented appearance over strong objections from the PRC, which had in the past prevented ROC presidents from attending international gatherings. Altogether, the Mass of Requiem was deemed to be the largest gathering of statesmen in world history, exceeding the gathering at the state funeral of Sir Winston Churchill in London in 1965.

Some of the dignitaries who attended the funeral also attended the installation Mass for Pope Benedict XVI on 24 April 2005.

Novemdiales

After the Rite of Interment, nine official days of mourning began. The devotional called novemdiales features a Mass of Requiem on each of the nine days at St. Peter's Basilica. Several cardinals were chosen by Cardinal Ratzinger to have the honor of presiding over each mass. One of the most controversial honorees was Bernard Cardinal Law, Archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, scheduled to preside a novemdiales on April 11. 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.

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a grassroots advocacy group also known as SNAP, flew to Rome to protest saying Cardinal Law's place of honor was painful to sexual abuse victims and embarrassing to Roman 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.

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." The College of Cardinals responded by stating that Cardinal Law was honored as a matter of his being the ordinary of one of the most important basilicas of the Roman Catholic Church.

The April 14 novemdiales mass at St. Peter's Basilica replaced traditional hymns and prayers with those of the Maronite Rite belonging to one of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Nasrallah Pierre Cardinal Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, presided over the mass. It was the first time a cardinal patriarch of an Eastern Catholic Church offered a novemdiales mass, in his own rite, for a pope.

Security

The immensity of the pilgrim presence in Rome and the vast diplomatic contingent from nations around the world raised concerns by the College of Cardinals that the funeral, conclave and installation of a new pope would make Vatican City a target for terrorism. The anti-terrorism task forces responsible for securing the funeral considered international terrorists the primary potential threat because of the attending dignitaries; domestic terrorism from Italian political extremists was considered less likely.

On April 6—in advent of the arrival of the United States delegation aboard Air Force One, protected by a military escort—the Italian government issued a no-fly zone within a five-mile radius of Rome. The Italian government considered the President of the United States, the first sitting American president to attend a papal funeral, as the most tempting target for terrorists. Official diplomatic delegations from other nations began arriving at the same time.

The Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian air force) prepared their aircraft to be launched at a moment's notice in case of a terrorist strike. The Italian army deployed anti-aircraft missiles around Vatican City, to the grudging dismay of the College of Cardinals. Marina Militare (Italian navy) warships were positioned along the shorelines of Italy armed with torpedoes. Gunboats ran up and down the rivers and waterways of Rome, including the Tiber River which flows around Vatican City. One thousand snipers were positioned on strategic rooftops throughout the Italian capital as Carabinieri military police task forces swept aqueducts and drains for explosives. Helicopters were dispatched to scan the city streets from above. Plans to close Ciampino Airport from commercial flights and divert air traffic to and from Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino were finalized for the day of the Mass of Requiem and Interment of Pope John Paul II. Other smaller civilian commuter and recreational airports were also shut down.

Some of the same security measures that were in effect for the funeral were also in effect for the installation mass of Pope Benedict XVI on 24 April.

References

History of the Papacy | Pope John Paul II

Funérailles du pape Jean-Paul II | Johannes Paul IIs begravelse | พิธีปลงพระศพสมเด็จพระสันตะปาปาจอห์น ปอล ที่ 2

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Funeral of Pope John Paul II