When Pope John Paul II died...

...those in the room with him did not pray "the typical prayer" for a person dying [the prayer for the soul's salvation], instead they prayed "a prayer of gratitude" for him?  Huh?  

Watch the video at about the 9.35 mark he explains what happened...

I had never heard this before...I was not yet a Catholic when JPII died, so didn't follow closely the happenings at the Vatican.  

Now, as a Catholic, I am wondering what other Catholics at the time thought of this?  

No big deal?  Weird?  Odd?  Nothing to see here?

Let me know your thoughts.  

My own thoughts are...well it bothered me to find this out.  You can pray a prayer "of gratitude" at any time...but when someone has just died, should we not pray for their soul first before all things?  

To me, being an ex-Baptist this smelt a bit like Protestantism.  You see, in most Protestant denominations once a person dies that's it.  You don't pray for them or their souls [because there is no belief in Purgatory OR in prayers for the dead helping anyone].  

To most Protestants, if the dead person had believed in God and lived "good" lives they were in Heaven with Jesus, no need to pray for them. Instead of praying for their souls, Protestants "celebrate" the life of the dead loved one and believe, as I said, that they are already in Heaven with Jesus because they believed in God and lived "good" lives. Done deal.  

But as a Catholic...I do pray for the souls of the departed- even a pope because I don't know if that pope needed time in Purgatory or not and to assume he was so great and wonderful that he didn't need prayers for his soul...well it comes off as presumptuous to me.  Am I wrong here?

Let me hear what you think about praying a prayer of gratitude when someone dies rather than for their soul.



In Christ,

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 

EWTN Press Release: John Paul II in America

EWTN To Air ‘John Paul II in America: Uniting a Continent’

 

          Irondale, AL (EWTN) – You’ve undoubtedly heard that St. John Paul II’s trip to his native Poland, where his open-air Mass and homily were heard by millions, played a role in toppling the Iron Curtain. But did you know that the late Pope was also driven by a desire to see a “United American Continent” under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe? Find out more when EWTN airs the Knights of Columbus’ documentary, “John Paul II in America: Uniting a Continent.” (Airs 10 p.m. ET, Wednesday, April 29; 10 a.m. ET, Thursday, April 30; and 4 p.m. ET, Saturday, May 2 on EWTN.)

            The documentary, narrated by Actor Andy Garcia, will give you a new understanding of the papacy of John Paul II, who died April 2, 2005. You’ll enjoy rare archival footage and come to understand the vision behind the Pope’s decision to travel across the Americas from Argentina to Alaska. Hear from leading Catholic figures such as Boston Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, Biographer George Weigel, and former Vatican Spokesman Joaquín Navarro-Valls, who explain the many ways this Pope “ultimately changed the course of history.”

            EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 34th year, is the largest religious media network in the world. EWTN’s 11 networks broadcast the Gospel message in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 230 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. Properties include direct broadcast satellite television and radio services; AM & FM radio networks transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and radio affiliates across the U.S.; a worldwide shortwave radio station; the largest Catholic website in the U.S.; electronic and print news services, including “The National Catholic Register” newspaper, and two global wire services; as well as a publishing arm.

EWTN Press Release: Divine Mercy Sunday

EWTN To Air Divine Mercy Events On
Same Day “Mercy Pope” Will Be Canonized

Irondale, AL – If not for the support of soon-to-be St. John Paul II, the Divine Mercy devotion might never have been officially approved by the Catholic Church. It is fitting, therefore, that the late Pope, also known as the Mercy Pope, not only be canonized on this feast day, but that EWTN Global Catholic Network broadcast events celebrating the Feast of Divine Mercy from the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass., official promoters of the Divine Mercy message.

 

Join more than 20,000 people on the grounds of the Shrine and millions more who will follow the Divine Mercy Celebration and more on EWTN. 

 

This year’s lineup includes:

• “Divine Mercy Preview Show:” The theme for this year’s program, hosted by Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC, and Fr. Joseph Roesch, MIC, is “Mercy in Action.” Learn how Popes John Paul II and John XXIII lived mercy and how you can too. The program airs live at noon ET, Sunday, April 27, from the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass., with an encore at midnight.
• “Mass & Celebration of Divine Mercy:” Airs live from the National Shrine of Divine Mercy at 1 p.m. ET, Sunday, April 27, with an encore at 1 a.m. ET, Monday, Sept. 28.
• “Divine Mercy Holy Hour:” Airs live from the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Ala. at 4 p.m. ET, Sunday, April 27, with encores at 3:30 a.m. ET, Thursday, May 1; 2 p.m. ET, Friday, May 2.
• “Living Mercy:” Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church's amazing impact on the Baton Rouge, Louisiana community, through their devotion to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and especially their annual Lenten Novena, which draws Catholics and even non-Catholics by the thousands. This half-hour program airs 5 p.m. ET, Sunday, April 27.

Learn more about the Divine Mercy Devotion at http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/index.htm.

 

The programs above may be watched or listened to live on EWTN television by cable or satellite (www.ewtn.com/channelfinder), streaming audio or video on the Internet (http://origin.ewtn.com/audiovideo/index.asp), shortwave (http://www.ewtn.com/radio/freq.htm), EWTN mobile (http://www.ewtnapps.com/), on the EWTN Radio Network via our affiliates, (http://www.ewtn.com/radio/radioaffiliatemap), on SIRIUS satellite radio channel #130 (http://www.sirius.com/ewtn), or on iHeartRadio (www.ewtn.com/radio) , as well as on EWTN’s own YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/ewtn).

 

EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 33^rd year, is available in over 230 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website www.ewtn.com, electronic and print news services, and publishing arm, EWTN is the largest religious media network in the world.