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Catholic Church marks anniversary of John Paul II's death.

Pope Benedict XVI recalled Sunday John Paul II's "immense heritage" and his ability to "touch the hearts of people" as Catholics in Rome and across the globe commemorated the first anniversary of the death of the late pontiff.

"On April 2 of last year, just like today, our beloved Pope John Paul II was living in these same hours the final stage of his earthly pilgrimage, a pilgrimage of faith, love and hope that has left a profound mark on the history of the Church and humanity," Benedict told scores of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.

"His heritage is immense," Benedict said, recalling his predecessor's many travels and his famous rallying cry to the faithful, pronounced shortly after his election of October 16, 1978: "Open wide the doors to Christ." The anniversary was marked with special Masses held in Roman Catholic churches in Italy and around the world.

In Karol Wojtyla's native Poland, millions of faithful gathered at religious services held Sunday throughout the country. Scores of pilgrims have been thronging the southern city of Krakow, the late pope's former diocese, and Wadowice, the pope's birth place, since Friday.

Addressing a congregation in Krakow, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the city's current bishop and former long-standing private secretary to Pope John Paul, called on people to remember the pontiff with "love and gratitude."

In Rome, as many as 300,000 pilgrims were converging on a St. Peter's square basking in sunshine ahead of a rosary recital and evening prayer vigil with Benedict XVI. The pope was to give a short speech at 9.37 p.m., the exact time of his predecessor's death a year ago.

Almost 2,000 volunteers and a large police presence was at hand to assist the pilgrims, hand out bottles of water and ensure that the proceedings went smoothly. Many of the pilgrims, like Malgorzata Polak, came from Poland after enduring long journeys across Europe by bus.

"I arrived in Rome three days ago after spending 30 hours on a bus. It is very important for me to be here today. John Paul was like a second father to me. I loved him," Polak, a young travel agent told Deutsche Presse-Agentur, dpa, Polish flags and banners hailing Poland's Solidarnosc (Solidarity) trade union waving behind her.

Michal Dankiewicz, a 15-year-old from southern Poland, was in Rome for the first time to honour his celebrated compatriot.

Asked why he thought John Paul was so great, Dankiewicz said: "Because he spoke to young people and taught us how big God's love is for us all." Long queues have been forming for days at John Paul's tomb in a grotto beneath St. Peter's Basilica, with many people leaving notes with intercessions and prayers. Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi also paid a private visit to the crypt on Sunday morning.

The late pontiff died of septic shock and an irreversible cardiovascular collapse at 9.37 p.m. on April 2, 2005, some 70 hours after his already fragile health had suddenly deteriorated as a result of an infection to the urinary tract. He was 84 and had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for more than 10 years.

According to a recent book co-authored by his personal doctor, Renato Buzzonetti, John Paul, speaking in Polish with a weak voice, had told his aides on the morning of April 2 to "let me go to God" before entering a coma at about seven in the evening. "He never displayed his physical suffering thereby giving our epoch, which conceals bodily decay, illness and death almost as though they were scandalous an extraordinary lesson," said Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro Valls ahead of Sunday's celebrations.

The anniversary has prompted the publication in Italy of a flurry of films, DVDs and magazines honouring the man who guided the Roman Catholic Church for more than 26 years and who could soon be admitted into the canon of saints.

The process leading to his beatification has been proceeding speedily, with about 100 witnesses, some of whom knew Wojtyla since his youth, heard by Vatican officials over the past six months.

Under canon law the church must prove that John Paul worked a miracle before it can beatify him. Only then can it search for evidence of another miracle required for canonization.

Pilgrims were expected to return to the square on Monday afternoon for a special anniversary Mass led by Benedict.

© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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posted by Les Sheppard @ 5:53 AM