Pope John Paul II died peacefully on the evening of 2 April, 9: 37 p.m. Rome time. The last gift of the Holy Father for Divine Mercy Sunday, 3 April (also the Second Sunday of Easter), was the Regina Caeli, read by Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, Substitute of the Secretariat of State, at the end of the Holy Mass celebrated that day in St Peter's Square for the deceased Pope. "I have been charged", Archbishop Sandri said, "to read you the text that was prepared in accordance with his explicit instructions by the Holy Father John Paul II. I am deeply honoured to do so, but also filled with nostalgia".

I greet the Italian-speaking pilgrims, and especially the boys and girls from the Diocese of Milan who have come to the tomb of Peter to express their faith in Christ who died and rose. Dear friends, may friendship with Jesus, our Redeemer, always illumine your lives! Stay united to him by listening to his Word and actively participating in the Eucharistic Banquet. Be his faithful witnesses, especially among your peers. I renew my Easter greetings to you all with affection.

MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER
JOHN PAUL II
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE EASTER VIGIL MASS

Holy Saturday, 26 March 2005

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At the end of the Lenten penitential journey and after having meditated in these last days on the sorrowful passion and dramatic death of Jesus on the Cross, we are celebrating on this singular night the glorious mystery of his Resurrection.

LETTER OF THE HOLY FATHER
JOHN PAUL II
TO PRIESTS
FOR HOLY THURSDAY 2005

Dear Priests!

1. In this Year of the Eucharist, I particularly welcome our annual spiritual encounter for Holy Thursday, the day when Christ's love was manifested "to the end" (cf. Jn 13:1), the day of the Eucharist, the day of our priesthood.

My thoughts turn to you, dear priests, as I spend this time recuperating in hospital, a patient alongside other patients, uniting in the Eucharist my own sufferings with those of Christ. In this spirit I want to reflect with you on some aspects of our priestly spirituality.

APOSTOLIC LETTER
THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT
OF THE HOLY FATHER
JOHN PAUL II
TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE
FOR COMMUNICATIONS

1. The rapid development of technology in the area of the media is surely one of the signs of progress in today’s society. In view of these innovations in continuous evolution, the words found in the Decree of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Inter Mirifica, promulgated by my venerable predecessor, the servant of God Paul VI, December 4, 1963, appear even more pertinent: “Man’s genius has with God’s help produced marvelous technical inventions from creation, especially in our times. The Church, our mother, is particularly interested in those which directly touch man’s spirit and which have opened up new avenues of easy communication of all kinds of news, of ideas and orientations.”[1]

CHRISTMAS ADDRESS OF
POPE JOHN PAUL II
TO THE ROMAN CURIA

Tuesday, 21 December 2004

Your Eminences,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers,

1. Every year, the approach of the festive Christmas celebrations stirs feelings of serenity and peace. The birth of Jesus is an event that moves our hearts. The eternal Word became flesh and came to dwell among us (cf. Jn 1: 14). In the next few days, the Liturgy will remind us more than once of this fundamental truth of our faith:  "Christus natus est nobis, venite, adoremus", (Christ is born for us, come, let us adore him).

POST-SYNODAL
APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
PASTORES GREGIS
OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE JOHN PAUL II
ON THE BISHOP,
SERVANT OF THE GOSPEL
OF JESUS CHRIST
FOR THE HOPE OF THE WORLD

INTRODUCTION

1. The shepherds of the Lord's flock know that they can count on a special divine grace as they carry out their ministry as Bishops. In the Roman Pontifical, during the solemn prayer of episcopal ordination, the principal ordaining Bishop, after invoking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit who leads and guides, repeats a phrase already found in the ancient text of the Apostolic Tradition: “Grant, O Father, knower of all hearts, that this your servant, whom you have chosen for the office of Bishop, may shepherd your holy flock. May he fulfil before you without reproach the ministry of the High Priesthood.”.¹ In this way there continues to be carried out the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Shepherd, who sent the Apostles even as he himself was sent by the Father (cf. Jn 20:21), and who wishes that their successors, the Bishops, should remain shepherds in his Church until the end of time.²

                                                 GIOVANNI PAOLO VESCOVO
                                                   SERVO DEI SERVI DI DIO
                                                    A PERPETUA MEMORIA

COSTITUZIONE APOSTOLICA

ECCLESIA IN URBE*

CIRCA IL NUOVO ORDINAMENTO
DEL VICARIATO DI ROMA

1. La Chiesa che è in Roma è chiamata a svolgere un compito del tutto singolare: essa, afferma il Libro del Sinodo, è « la prima nella grande famiglia della Chiesa, nella famiglia delle Diocesi sorelle » e « partecipa alla sollecitudine universale del suo Vescovo: è per se stessa aperta e riferita in maniera singolare all'universalità dell'unica Chiesa; in tal modo deve vivere il suo stesso essere Chiesa particolare ».(1) Infatti in Roma dagli Apostoli Pietro e Paolo è stata fondata e costituita quella Chiesa « con la quale, in ragione della sua autorità superiore, deve accordarsi ogni Chiesa, cioè i fedeli di tutto il mondo, poiché in essa è stata conservata la tradizione apostolica attraverso i suoi capi »: (2) ad essa guardano tutte le altre Chiese, come a colei « che presiede alla carità ».(3)

JORNADA MUNDIAL DEL MEDIO AMBIENTE

DISCURSO DEL SANTO PADRE JUAN PABLO II
A LA OFICINA EUROPEA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE

7 de junio de 1996

Queridos amigos:

1. Me alegra acogeros con ocasión del encuentro de delegados de las Organizaciones no gubernamentales de Europa y de la cuenca mediterránea sobre el tema de la reforma fiscal y del medio ambiente, que se celebra en Roma. Saludo cordialmente al señor Armando Montanari, presidente de la Oficina europea del medio ambiente, a quien agradezco sus amables palabras, y al señor Raymond Van Ermen, secretario general.

Jan Paweł II

HOMILIA W CZASIE NABOŻEŃSTWA ZAMYKAJĄCEGO SYNOD DIECEZJALNY

Płock, 7 VI 1991

1. Serce Jezusa, Królu i zjednoczenie serc wszystkich!

Podczas czerwcowego nabożeństwa biskup i pasterz Kościoła płockiego przekazał mi dokumenty Synodu waszej diecezji. Synod ten - podobnie jak tyle innych synodów diecezji i prowincji kościelnych na całym świecie - jest jednym z tych "żywych kamieni" (por. 1 P 2,5), poprzez które Kościół powszechny w każdym z partykularnych i lokalnych Kościołów podejmuje wielkie dzieło realizacji Soboru Watykańskiego II.