Vatican marks 20th anniversary of St. John Paul’s death with Mass, newspaper tributes
April 03, 2025
On April 2, the Vatican marked the 20th anniversary of the death of Pope St. John Paul II (1920-2005), who governed the Church from 1978 to 2005.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, presided at Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Thirty cardinals and as many bishops concelebrated, L’Osservatore Romano reported. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was in attendance, as were a government delegation from Poland and numerous ambassadors to the Holy See.
In his homily, Cardinal Parolin recalled the highlights of the John Paul’s pontificate, from his first homily in 1978 (“Do not be afraid! Open, indeed throw open the doors to Christ!”) to his funeral Mass in 2005, at which “the certainty of the people concerning the sanctity of the deceased Pope” was evident.
Cardinal Parolin preached that “the ‘great ecclesial and historical mission’ of St. John Paul II was to ‘introduce the Church into the third millennium’ and he committed himself ‘with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his strength in the 26 years of his immense pontificate,’ as a ‘tireless pilgrim’ of the Gospel «to the most distant corners of the planet,’ as well as a tireless servant of peace,” according to the Vatican newspaper’s summary of his homily.
Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, the saint’s personal secretary from 1966 (when John Paul was a bishop) to 2005, also spoke during the Mass, recalling St. John Paul’s death and asking for prayers for the health of Pope Francis. The prelate recalled that John Paul trusted that Christ would make his death “useful for the most important cause which I seek to serve: the salvation of men, the safeguarding of the human family, and in it of all nations and peoples.”
Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, asked St. John Paul to intercede that young people be “tireless missionaries of the Gospel today.”
“Bless every family,” Cardinal Reina added, recalling that John Paul warned against “Satan’s assault against this precious spark of heaven that God has lit on earth. Make us strong and courageous in defending the family.”
“Pray for the whole world, scarred by so many injustices and lacerated by absurd wars, which turn the world into a bloody battlefield, deliver us from war, which is always a defeat for everyone,” Cardinal Reina added.
Later, thousands gathered for an evening prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square. The president of the Polish bishops’ conference, Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdańsk, paid tribute to the saint and led participants in the recitation of the holy Rosary.
Vatican newspaper
In its April 2 edition, L’Osservatore Romano devoted a front-page editorial, as well as two additional pages, to the anniversary. In his editorial (Italian, English), Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the Dicastery for Communication, recalled St. John Paul’s work on behalf of peace.
Tornielli wrote:
Two decades later, he is rightly remembered as a great defender of life, human dignity, and religious freedom. Most particularly remember his insistence against communism. However, few recall his other prophetic teachings, which are particularly relevant in our own dark moment of history ...
Today, more than ever, as the world burns and nations rush to fill their arsenals, with propaganda fostering an atmosphere of alarm and fear to justify massive military spending, we must remember those prophetic words of the Bishop of Rome who came from “a distant country.” His successor now echoes that same cry, once again standing alone against the madness of war.
The newspaper included four additional articles:
- coverage of the memorial Mass of thanksgiving in St. Peter’s Basilica
- an interview (Italian, English) with Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, and papal master of ceremonies for the last six years of the saint’s life
- a reflection by Msgr. Paweł Ptasznik, president of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation, on the saint’s rapport with youth
- an announcement of a memorial concert at the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
St. John Paul “lived according to the four Gospels,” said Cardinal Krajewski. “His way of working, his conduct, his approach to solving problems in the world and within his circle was based solely on the four Gospels—without any commentary ... When you comment on the Gospels, you dilute them. The four Gospels are very radical when lived out.”
Msgr. Ptasznik wrote:
In a world like the one we are living in, where there is more and more talk of youth distress, of the collapse of values, of radical changes within the new generations, St. John Paul II would reiterate to every young person, looking them in the eye, the phrase that is the emblem of his entire pontificate: Do not be afraid! Do not be afraid!
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Further information:
- Vent’anni fa la morte di san Giovanni Paolo II (L’Osservatore Romano)
- St. John Paul II tirelessly served the Church, embraced the world, cardinal says (CNS)
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