John Paul II set to be beatified

MANILA, Philippines - Former Philippine ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa called on Filipinos yesterday to rejoice for the late Pope John Paul II, who was now a step closer to becoming a saint.

De Villa, who served as the country’s ambassador to the Holy See during the incumbency of Pope John Paul II, said she was not certain if she would be attending the beatification of the late pontiff on May 1 at the Vatican.

Beatification is a step closer toward sainthood.

She said she was scheduled to leave for Rome on April 28, but it would depend if the eye surgery of her husband would push through on April 26.

If the surgery is conducted on her husband as scheduled she might not be able to travel abroad.

She believed that the Filipino people had a closer affinity with Pope John Paul II.

“I would say that for the Filipino John Paul II is the more loved and more popular man of God and leader of the Church of the century especially for the Filipinos since he visited the country twice,” she said.

She recalled that in one of their meetings, the late pontiff informed her that he was most impressed with the crowd turnout at the Rizal Park during the 1995 World Youth Day (WYD) in Manila where more than 10 million reportedly attended.

“John Paul II told me, when I presented my credentials, that he never saw so many people in one occasion in Luneta for the WYD. He told me that Filipinos have two gifts from God that are no longer visible in other countries, these are the richness of our faith and the closeness of our families,” said De Villa.

He wanted the Filipinos to defend and guard well these two “gifts,” she said.

Pope John Paul II also cited the importance of migrant workers. Aside from the dollar remittances sent by overseas Filipino workers to their families, they have a bigger responsibility to become new evangelizers.

He regarded as a blessing the many Filipinos living in Rome, she said.

De Villa said, “Imagine he called the Filipinos as ‘new evangelists.’ Filipinos spread the Good News of the Lord.”

But despite the many accomplishments of the late pontiff, there are those who are criticizing his apparent speedy beatification.

De Villa, however, pointed out that it was the public who requested that Pope John Paul II be immediately declared a saint.

“He is the contemporary saint of our times,” she said.

Pope John Paul II was born as Karol Juzef Wojtyla on May 18, 1920.

He was Pope from Oct. 16, 1978 until his death on April 2, 2005 at the age of 84.

Even the Archdiocese of Manila (AOM) is planning to hold a fun run partly to commemorate Pope John Paul II’s beatification.

The fun run on May 1 is intended not only to celebrate the beatification of the late Holy Father, but to also serve as a fund-raising activity to send 13 chosen Filipino youths to the 26th WYD in Madrid, Spain in August.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the World Youth Day Fun Run is scheduled on May 1 at 5 a.m. at the Philippine International Convention Center.

“Part of the reason of the fun run is to enliven our affection on the young. It is one way for us to celebrate the beatification of Pope John Paul II. It is also a fund-raising scheme because we want to send young people to the WYD in August 2011 in Madrid. Hopefully, we can get enough attention and funds in this fun run so that we will be able to send one youth from every vicariate of the Archdiocese of Manila,” said Pabillo.

After the fun run, there would be a Mass to be celebrated by Pabillo at the finish line. This would coincide with the celebration in Rome in honor of Pope John Paul II. They are also planning to put up an exhibit on the late pontiff.

AOM Biblical Apostolate Commission head Fr. Tony Navarette said they need to raise P160,000 to cover the expenditures of one delegate or a total of more than P2 million for the 13 delegates.