On 25-27 April this year, Vatican John Paul II Foundation celebrated the first anniversary of the canonization of its Founder. Presidents and members of the Chapters and Societies of Friends of the Foundation arrived for the celebration from many countries: France, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Great Britain, USA, and, what is worth underlying, from Indonesia and Hong Kong. The meeting was inaugurated with a Holy Mass, presided over by Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko, in the St. Peter’s Basilica at the relics of John Paul II. At noon, 25 April, members of the Foundation were invited to an audience with Pope Francis, which took place in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace.
The Holy Father, in a short speech, emphasized that John Paul II’s canonization gave a new impetus to the Foundation’s activities in the service of the Church and evangelization. He encouraged to persevere in educational work targeted at young people from different countries of the Central and Eastern Europe. In this way, members of the Foundation can develop the charism of St. John Paul II, who bestowed special love upon young people. The young generation – the Pope said – needs a thorough Christian formation to take on the challenges of the modern world. Pope Francis pointed out that to achieve this purpose, the social teaching of St. John Paul II should be used. “Just think about one of the key words of this teaching which is ‘solidarity’. One might think that the word is gone, but in reality it preserved its prophetic strength”.
It should be noted that the words of Pope Francis define a program of the Foundation’s activities for the coming years. We have to study and popularize social teaching of John Paul II, returning to the contents of three important social encyclicals: Laborem exercens, Sollicitudo rei socialis and Centesimus annus, combining the ethics of solidarity with the sense of mercy, and trying to bring aid to people in need of material and spiritual support. One of the important challenges of the present time is to promote Christian culture and the values that serve to build the civilization of love and life.
The celebration of the anniversary of the canonization was filled with meetings of the presidents of the Chapters and Societies during which experiences were shared. On Sunday, 26 April, a memorial plaque, commemorating John Paul II’s exaltation to the glory of saints, was consecrated at the Polish Home in Rome. On this occasion Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko summed up activities of the various institutions of the Foundation. The next day, in the Basilica of St. Peter, Foundation members took part in a Holy Mass celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Sodano with a homily delivered by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz. (More information about the meeting of members of the Foundation: http://www.fjp2.com/pl).
The first anniversary of the canonization of John Paul II was also an opportunity to present the activities of the Centre for Documentation and Research of the Pontificate of John Paul II. During the audience, Fr. Andrzej Dobrzyński gave the Holy Father several publications of the Centre in Italian and Spanish. Sisters of the Sacred Heart, Sr. Remigia and Sr. Julia, guided visitors around the Centre. Many members of the Foundation watched museum exhibitions and took note of our daily work. We hope that the meetings, conversations and new contacts will contribute to closer cooperation between the Chapters and Societies of Friends of the Foundation and the Centre.
Fr. Andrzej Dobrzyński