VATICAN-John Paul II is blessed!

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) –At last, the day we have been waiting for has arrived, it arrived soon, because it seemed good to the Lord: John Paul II is blessed!” Exclaimed the Holy Father Benedict XVI in his homily on Sunday, May 1 during the Mass during which he beatified the Servant of God John Paul II. The solemn liturgy, concelebrated by the College of Cardinals, which was attended by archbishops, bishops, priests, religious men and women, 87 delegations from different countries and hundreds of thousands of people, over one million according to official estimates, came from around the world and filled St. Peter's Square and surrounding streets. It was possible to follow the Mass on giant screens installed in several different squares of the city.
"John Paul II is blessed for his strong and generous, apostolic faith”, said Benedict XVI, quoting the Gospel of the day, which narrates the apparition of the risen Jesus to Thomas. In addition to his beatification, on the second Sunday of Easter, which "the Blessed John Paul II called the Divine Mercy", was celebrated together with "the first day of the month of Mary, under the maternal gaze of the one, who with her faith sustained the faith of the Apostles, and continually supports the faith of their successors, especially those who are called to sit on the throne of Peter”.
In Polish, the Holy Father said: "With his testimony of faith, love and apostolic courage, accompanied by great human strength, this exemplary son of the Polish Country helped Christians around the world not to be afraid to call themselves Christians, to belong to the Church, to preach the Gospel. In a word, he helped us not to be afraid of the truth because the truth is a guarantee of liberty”.
Summing up the message of John Paul II, the Holy Father continued, "he gave us the strength to believe in Christ, because Christ is Redemptor Hominis, the Redeemer of man: the theme of his first encyclical and the train of thought of all the others. Karol Wojtyla ascended the throne of Peter, he brought with him a deep reflection on the understanding of the difference between Marxism and Christianity, centered on man. His message was this: man is the way of the Church, and Christ is man's way. With this message, which is the great legacy of the Second Vatican Council and of its "helmsman" the Servant of God Pope Paul VI, John Paul II led God's people across the threshold of the third millennium, thanks to Christ that he was called 'Threshold of Hope'. Yes, throughout the long preparation for the great Jubilee, he directed Christianity once again to the future, the future of God, which transcends history, but also affects history. "(SL) (Agenzia Fides 2 / 05 / 2011)