Faithful gather to remember Pope
Local parishioners joined tourists, students from home and abroad at the Pro-Cathedral to mark the passing of one of the Catholic Church's greatest leaders.
Dubliner Jim Reid referred to the visit to Knock: "I wouldn't say that I have deep faith but at that time I felt something, something beyond this, and that is why I came here today," he said.
Other visitors remarked on the pontiff's enormous strength, warmth and how it touched them.
Deirdre Kavanagh, from the capital, said the Pope had offered a personal touch in the way he spoke and acted.
"From the visit to Ireland all those years ago I remember that he passed on a real sense of love to everyone, he felt he was talking to everybody, even though we were behind about one million others," she said.
Hymns and prayers sounded across the church as the congregation of hundreds packed the church to hear Cardinal Desmond Connell, Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin and Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Lazarotto, celebrate the life of John Paul.
The Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, told Massgoers in Ennis yesterday the core of what Pope John Paul II stood for is in contrast to the aggressive materialism that is characteristic of society today.
Massgoers thronged 12 o'clock Mass at St Peter and Paul Cathedral in Ennis to hear Dr Walsh say there was a sense of gladness the Pope's suffering was over.
One of the most significant things the Pope did, Bishop Walsh said, was to reach out to people of different faiths, in particular the Muslim world.
He chose one of his pieces of writings which sets out his vision for the New Millennium, 'At the Beginning of the New Millennium', as something that was very special to him.
"In this booklet, the Pope talks about the spirituality of Communion, I hadn't heard that phrase before until he uses it here.
"I have read the piece several times because I think it is at the heart of all that we believe in.
"It means trying to make room for each other and trying to share each other's burden. That is a contrast to the aggressive individualism, which is very characteristic of our society today, that each one of us looking after ourselves and seeing others in some way as being competitors and not as brothers and sisters. I really think that that is the heart of all what Pope John Paul stood for."
THE Bishop of Limerick last night described the Pope's death as the end of one of the "most remarkable pontificates in the history of the Church".
In a statement released yesterday, Bishop Donal Murray spoke of the special relationship the people of Limerick had with the pontiff, who visited the city on October 1, 1979.
"Honouring his memory means listening again to his challenging words. Each layperson is 'an extraordinary work of God's grace and called to the heights of holiness'. He told every member of the lay faithful, 'you are called to fulfil your role in the evangelisation of the world'," he said.
"He spoke about the importance of roots and about the essential role of the family as 'the primary field of Christian action' for lay Christians. He told us in no uncertain terms that Ireland must choose and that this was a time of testing, a time of decision.
"We can be in no doubt that he would have wished to issue the same challenge if had been able to come to Ireland again.
"His words are even truer now than when he spoke them in 1979."
Meanwhile, hundreds of mourners attended Masses at the Cathedral yesterday, where photos of the Pope were placed on the altar. A large number of Polish people living in Limerick also visited the cathedral to pray.
For many Limerick people who remembered the Pope's visit to Greenpark Racecourse in 1979 yesterday, his death was particularly poignant.
"I remember the day so clearly, even though I was only nine years of age. It was as if people travelled from the entire of Munster to see the Pope in Limerick," said Sue Hassett, Ballinacurra, Limerick.
"For me it was particularly moving as I got to touch him," she said.
What began as a trickle on Friday afternoon had by yesterday afternoon become a river of memories and tributes as hundreds of people laid flowers and said silent prayers for Pope John Paul II at the monument to his visit to Killineer, Drogheda, on September 29, 1979.
Just like 25 years ago, they came from both sides of the Border to pay their last respects and, for many, it was also time to reminisce on seeing him in Ireland and hearing him plead in front of 300,000 people for the IRA to turn away from the paths of violence.
The M1 motorway bypasses Killineer and, as the weekend news bulletins carried details of the worsening condition of the Pope and then his death, the cars returned to the former Dublin-Belfast road and a vigil was kept at the roadside monument throughout Saturday night.
"We left at 2am (Sunday) and people came and went all night long," said Mary Flanagan, who lives a couple of hundred metres from the monument.
In churches throughout the midlands, photographs of the Pope were displayed prominently in front of altars, and people knelt in front to say a silent prayer.
"People are coming out to express. People are leaving flowers at the door of the church or putting them in front of the picture of the Holy Father," said Fr Michael Kilmartin, Cathedral of Christ the King Church, Mullingar.
Dr Michael Smith, Bishop of Meath, recalled the Pope's inner calmness and his ability to listen.
"I recall a lengthy meeting in Castle Gandolfo when Cardinal Tomas O'Fiach advised the Pope that he should not go to Northern Ireland, and he took the advice," he said.
"The concern was not for the Pope's security, but for the security of people travelling to see him or what might happen at a big gathering."
"He pushed the Church's teaching in peace way beyond any other of his predecessors, both in terms of rejecting violence and protecting victims. He worked unceasingly for the Christian Unity. His relations with Jews and with Israel were remarkable." - Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.
"A life of outstanding faith and generous service to Christ and the whole human family has serenely departed this world this evening with the death of our beloved Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. We mourn with heavy hearts and an immense sense of loss the death of a loving Pastor, a gentle teacher and a courageous leader. We thank God for his holy life, his inspiring example and his unfailing affection for Ireland and the Irish people." - Archbishop Sean Brady.
"The death of Pope John Paul is the end of one of the most remarkable pontificates in the history of the Church. It has been our privilege to witness his powerful presence, to have recognised his leadership in the search for Christian unity, for peace and justice, for greater fidelity to the Gospel; we have heard his challenging, deep and wide-ranging teaching and guidance to the Church and the world." - Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray.
"One of my strongest memories of John Paul II was his deep sense of faith; a faith that was rooted in prayer and his abiding concern for others; people of all countries and of all religious traditions. In that way, he inspired us to live our faith in a way that makes a difference to others." - Bishop of Cork John Buckley.
"Pope John Paul showed immense personal courage in fulfilling his duties when it was so obvious his health was failing. That courage together with a powerful intellect and constant devotion to duty throughout his long Pontificate assured him of a significant place in history. In the period of adjustment and election which now faces the Roman Catholic Church, I pray Almighty God will strengthen and guide those who have such heavy responsibilities for the future of their Church." - Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland, Dr Robert Eames.
"Pope John Paul II's long pontificate has embraced all continents and touched successive generations. Recalling the occasion of his historic visit to Ireland in 1979, we remember in particular his heartfelt appeal for an end to violence and a renewed commitment to peace and reconciliation, the echoes of which still resonate today." - Chairman of the General Synod Committee for Christian Unity, Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, Rt Rev Peter F Barrett.
"John Paul II preached the gospel of Jesus without fear and reached out to all people without exception, respecting every one of us as being made in the image and likeness of God. Young people and the elderly were particularly dear to him." - Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Rev William Lee.
"His trust in the future, his never-wavering commitment to the worth of each human life and his witness under the burden of personal suffering constituted a sign of great value in the modern age. His influence on the history of his beloved native country and on European history is already evident." - President Mary McAleese.
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