CV NEWS FEED // On April 2, 2025, the world commemorates the 20th anniversary of the death of Pope Saint John Paul II, one of the most beloved and influential figures in modern Church history.
At the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state, will preside over a special anniversary Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican News reported. A prayer vigil will follow at 9 p.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square, offered in both Polish and Italian.
Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Poland will lead the evening prayers, joined by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz — former Archbishop of Kraków and longtime personal secretary to Pope John Paul II — who will also concelebrate the Mass earlier that day.
In anticipation of the anniversary, Pope Francis offered his blessing to all participants in a message sent in February, Vatican News reported.
“I wish everyone a peaceful Jubilee Year in the spirit of hope,” the Pope wrote to Cardinal Dziwisz, “and, invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and Saint John Paul II, I wholeheartedly bless you and all those taking part in the celebrations on April 2.”
The anniversary invites not only commemoration but reflection on the unexpected election that launched the Polish pope’s extraordinary papal mission.
At 6:45 p.m. on October 16, 1978, the Church was introduced to a new pope “from a far country,” breaking centuries of Italian precedent.
Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, the 58-year-old archbishop of Kraków, had considered taking the name Stanislaus I after Poland’s patron saint but chose instead to honor his short-lived predecessor, John Paul I.
From the balcony, he greeted the crowd with disarming humility, asking for patience with his Italian and expressing his trust in God and the Virgin Mary.
“I do not know if I can well explain myself in your… Italian language. Correct me if I make mistakes,” he said. “And so I present myself to all of you, to confess our common faith, our hope, our trust in the Mother of Christ and the Church, and also to begin again on this road of history and the Church, with the help of God and with the help of men.”
Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of Rome, encouraged widespread participation in the anniversary events, describing them as a moment “of thanksgiving to the Lord for the great gift of Saint John Paul II’s life and his pastoral service in our diocese,” according to Vatican News.
Even two decades after his death, Pope John Paul II’s legacy continues to shape the spiritual lives of Catholics worldwide. From his first call to “Be not afraid,” to his later exhortation to Duc in altum (“Put out into the deep”), he urged the Church not to retreat but to boldly engage the world with the light of Christ.
This week, Vatican News contributor Jenny Kraska reflected on the Gospel of the Prodigal Son as a lens through which to consider the late pope’s life.
“This parable speaks to all of us because, in different ways, we have all been lost,” she wrote, emphasizing both the younger son’s fall into spiritual poverty and the older brother’s struggle with resentment.
“Yet at the heart of the story is the father, whose love is extravagant, unearned, and always seeking reconciliation,” she said.
Kraska noted that Pope John Paul II not only preached this message of mercy but lived it. His devotion to Divine Mercy, consistent appeals for forgiveness and reconciliation, and personal experiences of suffering under Nazi and communist regimes informed his approach.
One example she highlighted was his 1983 visit to the man who attempted to assassinate him in 1981.
“The world watched in amazement as this act of radical mercy unfolded — a true reflection of the father running to embrace the prodigal son,” Kraska wrote.
She also pointed to his acknowledgment that mercy does not dismiss justice but fulfills it. Citing Dives in misericordia, Pope John Paul II wrote: “Mercy is an indispensable dimension of love; it is as it were love’s second name.”
“As we reflect on the anniversary of his death, we are reminded that John Paul II was not only a pope of mercy, but also a father to a prodigal world — welcoming, forgiving, and rejoicing whenever one of God’s children returned home,” she wrote. “May his witness inspire us to trust in the mercy of God, to be instruments of reconciliation in a divided world, and to never hesitate in returning to the Father, who always runs to meet us.”