This is from ZENIT.org -
John Paul II Praised as Apostle of Mercy
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, MARCH 30, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Pope John Paul II was an apostle of divine mercy, and his pontificate can be summarized with the idea that God's mercy is mankind's only hope, affirms Benedict XVI.
The German Pope said this as he addressed crowds today gathered to pray the midday Regina Caeli in the plaza of the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo. Benedict XVI spoke of the previous Pope's legacy in promoting the contemplation of divine mercy.
"All that the Church says and does shows the mercy that God feels for man," the Holy Father said. "When the Church has to remind about a neglected truth, or a betrayed good, it does it always motivated by a merciful love, so that men may have life and have it in abundance. From divine mercy, which puts hearts at peace, also arises the authentic peace of the world, peace among peoples, cultures and religions."
"Like Sister Faustina, John Paul II became in turn an apostle of divine mercy," Benedict XVI affirmed. Sister Mary Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who died in 1938, was an apostle of the Divine Mercy. John Paul II canonized her in April 2000.
Benedict XVI recalled the night John Paul II died, April 2, 2005, "precisely the vigil of the Second Sunday of Easter," saying that many "observed the unique coincidence, which brought together [that day] a Marian dimension -- the first Saturday of the month -- and that of divine mercy."
He continued: "In fact, [John Paul II's] long and multifaceted pontificate finds here its central nucleus; all of his mission at the service of the truth about God, about man and peace in the world is summarized in this proclamation, [...] 'Apart from the mercy of God there is no other source of hope for mankind.
"His message, like that of St. Faustina, presents the face of Christ, supreme revelation of the mercy of God. To contemplate constantly this face: This is the inheritance that he has left us, which we welcome with joy and make our own."
The German Pontiff concluded his address entrusting to Mary, Mother of Mercy, "the great cause of peace in the world so that the mercy of God achieves what is impossible with human strength alone, and instills the courage for dialogue and reconciliation."
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