In popural Mexican Catholic culture, JPII is already a saint. I was recently in a neighborhood botanica (Mexican herb/religious/drugstore) and saw many JPII items for sale. My favorite was a JPII/Mother Theresa diptych embossed with the phrase, “Santos para el siglo XXI — Saints for the 21st century.”

It is interesting how the RCC can change the rules when it suits them…i.e. waving the traditional 5 year waiting period to get JP2 beautified. As to the French nun being cured of Parkinson’s disease,by praying to JP2, IMO she never had Parkinson’s to begin with, as she was misdiagnosed.

“It is interesting how the RCC can change the rules when it suits them…i.e. waving the traditional 5 year waiting period to get JP2 beautified.”
pagansiter,
Give me a break! Are these not their rules to change? Are there some cosmic saint-making rules that the RCC is tweaking? Did the Great Pagan Mother Spaghetti Monster Goddess say, “Thou shalt not consider a human being for sainthood until they be dead 5 years lest thou commit sacriledge.”? Where the heck is it written?

“Are there some cosmic saint-making rules that the RCC is tweaking?”
Well, since saints are presumeably somewhat cosmic you’d think there would be some. What does the Bible say about saints?

While I do believe that His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, was a saintly man, I am a firm believer in the traditional manner of elevating people to the high status of saint. Never has there been a Pope more loved than John Paul II. Saintly behavior alone should not be the reason for beatifying or raising one to sainthood.
There is a belief among a particular so called Christian website which claims that Pope Benedict XVI will be the last real Pope, and that John Paul II will be resurrected from the dead and be inhabited by a demon, becoming the anti-christ pope. I think this is hog wash, but this group firmly believes that it is true.

Wow, audubon, that’s way more exciting than most of the religion we see on here. I guess the moral is that if we see JPII up and walking again we should distrust him.

sinsonte:
If the RCC can charge rules at will, like this for PJ2, wonder why they still cling to the ancient rule about no women priests, no married priests, no birth control for starters. As you say, they are their rules to change…or not. There is no cosmic rules at all, just the ones made up by the MEN in the RCC…which they change when they want. The excuse that priesthood rules and others can’t be changed is that they are “tradition, makes the church what it is etc.” So is it OK to break traditional rules when it is convienent? Seems to be. Personally I don’t care as it doesn’t affect me, I just find it typical of many religions.

pagan,
I’ve got no dog in this fight, either, but the RCC makes its rules and can change them at will for whatever reason suits them — convenience is as good as any (many a holy day of obligation have been moved to Sundays). The rules about canonization have changed over the years (I recommend “Making Saints” by Kenneth Woodward for a fascinating look into the process — especially the chapters on canonizing popes), I’m sure they’ll continue to evolve. BTW, the fact that the church can and has changed its own rules is what gives hope to those who whould like to see married and/or female priests and changes in teachings regarding birth control and homosexuality.
V. Sancte Johannes Paule
R. Ora pro nobis

O just Beatify the guy. It’s not like anyone expects any different endings to this. In the long run, who cares?! For most of the rest of the world, in a couple of years he will be no more familiar than Fiacre or Mathurin (patrons of hemorrhoid sufferers and fools, respectively)

Never heard the one you read audubon, but a proven Psychic has written that there will only be one more Pope after the present one. There will be a whole new order in the Vatican. Who knows, interesting.

“a proven Psychic has written that there will only be one more Pope after the present one”
Is this “proven psychic” willing to put any money on that prediction?

“a proven Psychic has written that there will only be one more Pope after the present one”
Is this “proven psychic” willing to put any money on that prediction?
I just knew nnmns was going to post that….
But seriously,
If you’ve never been a Catholic, I doubt you can understand saints. St Fiacre, of jestrfyl’s post, is also the patron saint of taxicab drivers (perhaps all the sitting led to the other aforementioned patronage). A great-uncle, of blessed memory, began every stint in his Checker cab with a prayer to St. Fiacre for a safe shift. A 20th century, Mexican-American man in Phoenix, Arizona invoking a 7th century French saint — that’s staying power. Sts. Michael, Catherine, and Margaret inspired St. Joan of Arc; how many has she inspired? Everyone has heros, Catholics call some of their’s, saints.

I don’t know her personally, but she is right so many times, who knows. It will give us something to watch for.

As long as no one is forcing me to behave like a Catholic I’m not going to push my ways on a Catholic.
Despite them looking foolish to me, I see no point in disrespecting their beliefs by asking why do they do this and why do they do that?
Catholics are not alone among religions in nonsensical, self-serving, antics and the more they are not left alone for their beliefs, the more ammunition it gives them to claim persecution.
If you’re a Buddhist, treat a Catholic like you would a Pagan, and if you’re a Pagan, treat a Catholic like you would a Buddhist.
If you’re a Catholic, you have no choice but to treat the Buddhist and the Pagan like infidels, so I think in your case, I’ll just walk away and shake my head.

Anyone who treats infidels with other than respect is a fool or a scoundrel. Those who profit from a religion have a reason for getting their victims to dislike infidels but those who practice a religion can profit greatly from listening to infidels.

Pope John Paul II was a heroic figure and a saintly figure. I say Beatify him now. Discuss Sainthood if and when the evidence is in.