Official papal photographer recalls time with 'a living saint'

Arturo Mari was Pope John Paul II’s personal photographer for all 27 years of his pontificate. Now, in the days before John Paul’s beatification, Mari has been recalling his life with the late pontiff.

“For me he was a man of God,” Mari tells Associated Press April 28 in an interview conducted in his apartment just yards from the Vatican. “I can guarantee you he was a living saint, because everything I could see with my eyes, hear with my ears, you cannot believe that this man could do so much.”

Many of the images that have come to describe the public image of Pope John Paul’s papacy were captured by Mari; the Pope sunning himself in the mountains of Val D'Aosta, lying in a hospital bed after a 1981 shooting attempt and then meeting and forgiving the Turkish man who shot him.

For Mari there are some exacting moments that typified John Paul the saint. One such instance came in 1984 when the Pope was visiting a leprosy hospital on Sorok Island, South Korea. In a break with the official protocol, “he touched them with his hands, caressed them, kissed each one,” says Mari, “Eight hundred lepers, one by one. One by one!”

Now retired, 71-year-old Mari’s home contains many photographic reminiscences of his time spent with the Pope. He’s particularly enthused by one captured in 2005. It shows John Paul sitting in his private chapel, too sick to attend the traditional Good Friday procession at the Colosseum in person, holding a crucifix as he watched the events on television,

“Look at his hands, the strength of his hands, how he grips the cross!” Mari says, “Look, they're red! He's working really hard. You can see his great suffering, it's like all his life was on that cross.”

Their final gathering came on April 2, 2005, when Mari visited John Paul in his apartment just hours before he died. The Pope, says Mari, was lying on his left side on his bed, an oxygen mask latent on the pillow, “He turned and gave me a smile, and his eyes were enormous. Beautiful! It had been years since I'd seen them like that. He turned, I fell to my knees because the moment, it was stronger than me. He took my hand, he caressed my hand. After a bit he said 'Arturo, grazie, grazie' and turned away.”

Pope Benedict said to have declined immediate canonization for Pope John Paul II

In his first days in office back in 2005, Pope Benedict measured but rejected the instant canonization of Pope John Paul II. That’s the claim being made by Andrea Tornielli, Vatican correspondent with the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

He writes April 27, “Pope Ratzinger did not decide on the spot. He knew his predecessor and had no doubts about his personal holiness. He required to consult first, though, and finally determined to waive the usual waiting period of five years (before opening the cause of canonization) but not to skip the step of beatification.”

Tornielli claims that the suggestion of immediate canonization came from Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, the private secretary to John Paul II. He also states that the idea of not waiting the standard five-year period before opening a cause of canonization was made by the Slovak Cardinal Jozef Tomko, a close friend and intimate of John Paul II.

Divine Mercy image in Chicago's Daly Plaza reaching thousands

One of the fastest-growing devotions in the Catholic Church is attainment the heart of downtown Chicago through the job of the Heralds of Divine Mercy. The organization is openly displaying a large image of Christ through a nine-day campaign of 24-hour prayer and evangelism.

“The Divine Mercy Project is actually about having an opportunity to witness to the culture, in environments we're usually pushed out of,” said Michael C.X. Sullivan, a 40-year-old lawyer who developed the idea previous this year. “It's specifically for the change of Chicago, America, and the world.”

The prayer vigil is taking place in Daly Plaza, a crowded area that features a numeral of civil administrative buildings. There, the Heralds of Divine Mercy are displaying a large cross down with a ten-foot-tall image of Christ based on the visions of St. Faustina Kowalska. While some participants remain in prayer, others take their turn distributing cards that endorse the message of God's mercy.

Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday April 26, 2011

Reading 1, Acts 2:36-41

36 'For this reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that the Lord and Christ whom God has made is this Jesus whom you crucified.'

37 Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'What are we to do, brothers?'

38 'You must repent,' Peter answered, 'and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God is calling to himself.'

40 He spoke to them for a long time using many other arguments, and he urged them, 'Save yourselves from this perverse generation.'

41 They accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22

4 The word of Yahweh is straightforward, all he does springs from his constancy.

5 He loves uprightness and justice; the faithful love of Yahweh fills the earth.

18 But see how Yahweh watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his faithful love,

19 to rescue them from death and keep them alive in famine.

20 We are waiting for Yahweh; he is our help and our shield,

22 Yahweh, let your faithful love rest on us, as our hope has rested in you.

Gospel, Jn 20:11-18

11 But Mary was standing outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, as she wept, she stooped to look inside,

12 and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet.

13 They said, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' 'They have taken my Lord away,' she replied, 'and I don't know where they have put him.'

14 As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realise that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.'

16 Jesus said, 'Mary!' She turned round then and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbuni!' -- which means Master.

17 Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'

18 So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and that he had said these things to her. 

Daily Bible Readings for Wednesday April 13, 2011

Reading 1, Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

14 Nebuchadnezzar addressed them, 'Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, is it true that you do not serve my gods, and that you refuse to worship the golden statue I have set up?

15 When you hear the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, zither, harp, bagpipe and every other kind of instrument, are you prepared to prostrate yourselves and worship the statue I have made? If you refuse to worship it, you will be thrown forthwith into the burning fiery furnace; then which of the gods could save you from my power?'

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, 'Your question needs no answer from us:

17 if our God, the one we serve, is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your power, Your Majesty, he will save us;

18 and even if he does not, then you must know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your god or worship the statue you have set up.'

19 This infuriated King Nebuchadnezzar; his expression was changed now as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. He gave orders for the furnace to be made seven times hotter than usual

20 and commanded certain stalwarts from his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego and throw them into the burning fiery furnace.

91 King Nebuchadnezzar sprang to his feet in amazement. He said to his advisers, 'Did we not have these three men thrown bound into the fire?' They answered the king, 'Certainly, Your Majesty'.

92 'But', he went on, 'I can see four men walking free in the heart of the fire and quite unharmed! And the fourth looks like a child of the gods!'

95 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego: he has sent his angel to rescue his servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than serve or worship any god but their God.

Responsorial Psalm, Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

52 May you be blessed, Lord, God of our ancestors, be praised and extolled for ever. Blessed be your glorious and holy name, praised and extolled for ever.

53 May you be blessed in the Temple of your sacred glory, exalted and glorified above all for ever:

54 blessed on the throne of your kingdom, exalted above all, glorified for ever:

55 blessed are you who fathom the abyss, enthroned on the winged creatures, praised and exalted above all for ever:

56 blessed in the expanse of the heavens, exalted and glorified for ever.

Gospel, Jn 8:31-42

31 To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said: If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples;

32 you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

33 They answered, 'We are descended from Abraham and we have never been the slaves of anyone; what do you mean, "You will be set free?" '

34 Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave.

35 Now a slave has no permanent standing in the household, but a son belongs to it for ever.

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.

37 I know that you are descended from Abraham; but you want to kill me because my word finds no place in you.

38 What I speak of is what I have seen at my Father's side, and you too put into action the lessons you have learnt from your father.

39 They repeated, 'Our father is Abraham.' Jesus said to them: If you are Abraham's children, do as Abraham did.

40 As it is, you want to kill me, a man who has told you the truth as I have learnt it from God; that is not what Abraham did.

41 You are doing your father's work. They replied, 'We were not born illegitimate, the only father we have is God.'

42 Jesus answered: If God were your father, you would love me, since I have my origin in God and have come from him; I did not come of my own accord, but he sent me. 

Daily Bible Readings for Tuesday April 05, 2011

Reading 1, Ez 47:1-9, 12

1 He brought me back to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream flowed eastwards from under the Temple threshold, for the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar.

2 He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side.

3 The man went off to the east holding his measuring line and measured off a thousand cubits; he then made me wade across the stream; the water reached my ankles.

4 He measured off another thousand and made me wade across the stream again; the water reached my knees. He measured off another thousand and made me wade across the stream again; the water reached my waist.

5 He measured off another thousand; it was now a river which I could not cross; the stream had swollen and was now deep water, a river impossible to cross.

6 He then said, 'Do you see, son of man?' He then took me and brought me back to the bank on the river.

7 Now, when I reached it, I saw an enormous number of trees on each bank of the river.

8 He said, 'This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome.

9 Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows.

12 Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.'

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

2 so we shall not be afraid though the earth be in turmoil, though mountains tumble into the depths of the sea,

3 and its waters roar and seethe, and the mountains totter as it heaves. (Yahweh Sabaoth is with us, our citadel, the God of Jacob.)Pause

5 God is in the city, it cannot fall; at break of day God comes to its rescue.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are tumbling, when he raises his voice the earth crumbles away.

8 Come, consider the wonders of Yahweh, the astounding deeds he has done on the earth;

9 he puts an end to wars over the whole wide world, he breaks the bow, he snaps the spear, shields he burns in the fire.

Gospel, Jn 5:1-16

1 After this there was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now in Jerusalem next to the Sheep Pool there is a pool called Bethesda in Hebrew, which has five porticos;

3 and under these were crowds of sick people, blind, lame, paralysed.

4

5 One man there had an illness which had lasted thirty-eight years,

6 and when Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had been in that condition for a long time, he said, 'Do you want to be well again?'

7 'Sir,' replied the sick man, 'I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; and while I am still on the way, someone else gets down there before me.'

8 Jesus said, 'Get up, pick up your sleeping-mat and walk around.'

9 The man was cured at once, and he picked up his mat and started to walk around. Now that day happened to be the Sabbath,

10 so the Jews said to the man who had been cured, 'It is the Sabbath; you are not allowed to carry your sleeping-mat.'

11 He replied, 'But the man who cured me told me, "Pick up your sleeping-mat and walk around." '

12 They asked, 'Who is the man who said to you, "Pick up your sleeping-mat and walk around"? '

13 The man had no idea who it was, since Jesus had disappeared, as the place was crowded.

14 After a while Jesus met him in the Temple and said, 'Now you are well again, do not sin any more, or something worse may happen to you.'

15 The man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had cured him.

16 It was because he did things like this on the Sabbath that the Jews began to harass Jesus. 

Daily Bible Readings for Friday April 01, 2011

Reading 1, Hos 14:2-10

2 Israel, come back to Yahweh your God your guilt was the cause of your downfall.

3 Provide yourself with words and come back to Yahweh. Say to him, 'Take all guilt away and give us what is good, instead of bulls we will dedicate to you our lips.

4 Assyria cannot save us, we will not ride horses any more, or say, "Our God!" to our own handiwork, for you are the one in whom orphans find compassion.'

5 I shall cure them of their disloyalty, I shall love them with all my heart, for my anger has turned away from them.

6 I shall fall like dew on Israel, he will bloom like the lily and thrust out roots like the cedar of Lebanon;

7 he will put out new shoots, he will have the beauty of the olive tree and the fragrance of Lebanon.

8 They will come back to live in my shade; they will grow wheat again, they will make the vine flourish, their wine will be as famous as Lebanon's.

9 What has Ephraim to do with idols any more when I hear him and watch over him? I am like an evergreen cypress, you owe your fruitfulness to me.

10 Let the wise understand these words, let the intelligent grasp their meaning, for Yahweh's ways are straight and the upright will walk in them, but sinners will stumble.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 81:6-8, 8-9, 10-11, 14, 17

6 'I freed his shoulder from the burden, his hands were able to lay aside the labourer's basket.

7 You cried out in your distress, so I rescued you. 'Hidden in the storm, I answered you, I tested you at the waters of Meribah.Pause

8 Listen, my people, while I give you warning; Israel, if only you would listen to me!

9 'You shall have no strange gods, shall worship no alien god.

10 I, Yahweh, am your God, who brought you here from Egypt, you have only to open your mouth for me to fill it.

11 'My people would not listen to me, Israel would have none of me.

14 at one stroke I would subdue their enemies, turn my hand against their opponents.

Gospel, Mk 12:28-34

28 One of the scribes who had listened to them debating appreciated that Jesus had given a good answer and put a further question to him, 'Which is the first of all the commandments?'

29 Jesus replied, 'This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one, only Lord,

30 and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.

31 The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.'

32 The scribe said to him, 'Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true, that he is one and there is no other.

33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.'

34 Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' And after that no one dared to question him any more.