Earlier this year, the Polish Bishop’s Conference called for John Paul II to be named a Doctor of the Church and Patron of Europe.
Yesterday, President of the PBC Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki announced that Pope Francis had denied his request, and most all bishops worldwide ignored his proposal.
“The title of Doctor of the Church is reserved for saints who performed a special service, especially in the development of theology. The idea of patrons for all Europe is quite a new one, dating from the twentieth century when the founders of Europe’s contemporary order looked for ways of integrating our continent’s nations and states. Although the first stage of our initiative has been completed, and the appropriate seeds sown in the ground, it seems we’ll now need a lot of patience.”
Speaking at a conference in Warsaw on the spiritual legacy of JPII, Gadecki said Pope Francis has the sole power to name him the Church’s 37th Doctor and Europe’s seventh co-patron, adding in in October of 2019 he wrote “with full conviction as to the rightness of the move” to him.
“When dangerous tendencies seek to turn us away from Christian values and build European integration on alien worldview foundations and purely economic activity at the cost of our true identity, Europe’s patron saints should stand as a call to memory.”
He also said that when he “wrote to presidents of the world’s 150-odd bishops’conferences, asking their support in time for St John Paul II’s hundredth birthday this year” he was mostly ignored, saying “there was little reaction and only seven responded positively.”
Bishops from Chile, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Philippines, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine responded positively. Bishops from France, Switzerland, and Austria argued it was premature, while the rest simply never responded.
The Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, evidently along with Pope Francis, also rejected the idea.
Gadecki said what remains “is prayer and continued thinking about these titles, which the late Holy Father undoubtedly deserves.”
Pray for us;
Cyril, monk, and Methodius, bishop, February 14
Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor, April 29
Benedict, abbot, July 11
Bridget of Sweden, founder (and mother of a saint, Catherine of Sweden), July 23
Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, virgin and martyr (Edith Stein), August 9
All holy men and women, saints and martyrs, pray for us.
Establish Pope Saint John Paul ii as patron saint of Europe to save Poland and her neighbours from globalism, socialism, atheism, marxism, communism. To defeat the plagues, infectious diseases, famine, war, centred around ignorance and greed which lack true Catholic Christian charity. Bring the children of Fatima, alongside Our Lady of the Rosary, to defeat the ancient one, and save souls from hell by heresy and deception. Amen.
On the feastday of Pope Saint John Paul ii, as the custody of Christ Crucified, show us ‘On the Threshold of Hope’ that miraculous healing and intervention is still possible to reverse such overt destruction of the morals of our Faith founded by our Risen Lord on Pentecost.
Ecce Crucem Domini!
Fugite partes adversae!
Vicit Leo de tribu Juda,
Radix David! Alleluia!
Saint Anthony of Padua, pray for us. For Italy.
Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us. For Rome.
Glory be to the Holy Trinity and to the Holy Family of Nazareth. Amen.