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Pope, in Poland, Honors John Paul
Pope Benedict XVI greets a gathering at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in Warsaw after an ecumenical meeting. At right is Monsignor Jeremiasz Anchimuk of the Polish Ecumenical Council and at rear is Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican secretary of state.
(Pool Photo/by Ettore Ferrari Via Associated Press)
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In his public appearances Thursday, Benedict spoke mostly in Italian but also tossed off a few sentences in Polish, much to the delight of his audience. He did not speak in German.
His visit to Poland is only his second trip beyond Italy since becoming pope in April 2005. Last August he appeared in Cologne, Germany, for a church event known as World Youth Day.
Poland is one of the most Catholic nations in Europe; about 96 percent of its 38 million people identify themselves as members of the church. The sale of alcohol has been banned in Warsaw, and censors are removing all sexual displays and references from Polish national television during the papal visit.
Many Poles are hopeful that Benedict will make an announcement or encouraging comments about the drive to canonize John Paul, a hugely popular cause here. The Vatican put John Paul on the fast track to sainthood shortly after his death, although the process could take years to complete.
The Rev. Jozef Kloch, a spokesman for the Polish bishops, smiled when he said that more than a few people were likely to whisper in the pontiff's ear about the subject during his visit. "I've listened to the parish priest in Wadowice, who said he would personally ask the pope to speed up the beatification process as quickly as possible," he said. Beatification is a step toward sainthood.
At the same time, Kloch said, confidence is widespread that John Paul will eventually achieve sainthood. "We don't want to hear complaints afterward that the Polish pope became a saint by avoiding the rules," he said. "We are very patient people, and we will wait patiently until the process is finished."
John Paul declared 482 saints during his reign, more than the total named by the church in the previous 500 years. Some church officials, including Benedict, have indicated a desire to go back to more moderate ways.
Giuseppe Alberigo, professor of history of the Catholic Church at the University of Bologna, said there were many powerful groups pushing to make John Paul a saint, including Polish bishops and parts of the Polish government. He said Benedict was right to slow the process.
"It's time to quit this beatification of popes," Alberigo said. "It's become a perverse mechanism. Every pope seems to feel he is obligated to canonize his predecessor, as if that way he can be sure the next pope will do it for him."
Special correspondent Sarah Delaney in Rome contributed to this report.
