Preview: The 20th Anniversaries of Pope Saint John Paul II's Death and Funeral

Among the ten or so anniversaries I have listed that we could discuss on the Son Rise Morning Show in this series, the death of Pope Saint John Paul II's on April 2, 2005 is the most recent. I remember praying for him in his last days and the MSM coverage of his death that Saturday night before Divine Mercy Sunday, the broadcast of his funeral--and the cries of "Santo Subito" at the end of that Holy Mass on April 8, 2005. 

So on Monday, February 10, we'll discuss this great Millennial Pope's death and funeral at my usual time, at the top of the second national hour of the Son Rise Morning Show on EWTN, about 7:50 a.m. Eastern/6:50 a.m. Central. Please listen live here or catch the podcast later here.

On September 20, 2005, the Vatican issued its official report on the last days of "the great Pope John Paul II", recounting his worsening condition from March 31 to April 2:

On March 31, shortly after 11 in the morning, while he was in his chapel to celebrate Mass, the Holy Father suffered a severe episode,  which was followed by a spiking of his body temperature. At this point, the AAS (Acta Apostolicae Sedis) account makes it clear, officials of the papal household realized that John Paul II was near death. However, no official announcement was made until that evening. "The explicit wish of the Holy Father to remain at his residence was respected," AAS recounts.

Cardinal Marian Jaworski of Lviv administered the last rites at 7:17. But Pope John Paul remained conscious and composed, and joined in the celebration of Mass on the morning of the next day: April 1. However, the raging fever led to a condition of septic shock and the "complete breakdown of the cardio-vascular system" during that day. That evening, as thousands of young people gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray for the dying Pontiff, John Paul said the words that his spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls reported at that time: "I have searched for you, and now you have come to me, and I thank you."

Early on Saturday, April 2, Pope John Paul was slipping in and out of consciousness, AAS reports. Mass was celebrated at his bedside, and he received the Secretary of State for a final time late in the morning. At about 3:30 in the afternoon, speaking in Polish in a feeble voice, John Paul said, "Let me go to the Father's house." Those were his last words, AAS discloses for the first time.

Early on Saturday evening the Pope lapsed into a coma, and monitors showed a sharp drop in his vital functions. As the Pontiff breathed his last, the first prayers of the feast of Divine Mercy were said at his bedside. At 9:27-- after having run an electrocardiogram for more than 20 minutes, in accordance with the Vatican norms-- Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, the Pope's longtime personal physician, formally declared the Pope dead.

 As I recall the U.S. mainstream secular media reporting on these events, many of the correspondents seemed stunned by the devotion of the young people in Saint Peter's square and the outpouring of devotion to Pope John Paul II in the days and nights after as people lined up to see his body in the Saint Peter's Basilica! And the funeral Mass with the huge crowds there and in Poland where the liturgy was simulcast in a huge field near Krakow where he had often celebrated Mass.

Mark and I watched the broadcast on NBC; George Weigel was one of the commentators and he was thrilled as the cries of "Giovanni Paulo", "Magnus", and "Santo Subito" filled the square. Brian Williams (remember him?) commented that Pope John Paul II had really lived up John Lennon's "Imagine" lyrics: "Imagine no possessions . . ." when the author never did himself. And you might recall that then-Prince Charles postponed his wedding to Camilla so he could represent his mother along with Tony Blair, then Prime Minister, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

Those were incredible days as the scenes from Rome, Krakow, Paris, New York and other cities dominated the news cycle. Of course, there was some criticism of his pontificate but for the most part, the news reports were respectful.

Pope Saint John Paul II, pray for us!

Image Credit (Public Domain): "Borne on the shoulders of the Papal gentlemen, the coffin of Pope John Paul II is taken from the altar for the Rite of Interment. Archbishop Piero Marini, then-Master of Pontifical Liturgical Ceremonies, preceded the casket." (Eric Draper, photographer)