On April 2, the Church has a special remembrance for St. John Paul II, died at 9.37 a.m. of the evening of the same day in 2005, with numerous faithful praying in St. Peter's Square. Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin is celebrating a Mass today on this anniversary, scheduled for 3:00 p.m., with the participation of his former secretary for so many years, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz.
The Pope Francis sent last February 12, before his admission to the Gemelli Polyclinic, a letter to Cardinal Dziwisz, assuring his blessing to the participants in the twentieth anniversary celebrations as has reported the official Vatican agency.
Letter of Pope Francis with blessing
In the letter, the Pope states that "I wish everyone a Jubilee Year full of peace in the sign of hope, and invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and St. John Paul II, I cordially bless you and all those who will participate in the Celebration on April 2".
Later today, at 9:00 p.m., a prayer vigil will be held in St. Peter's Square in Polish and Italian, led by Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, Archbishop of Gdańsk and President of the Polish Bishops, who will also concelebrate at the evening liturgy.
A few days ago, in a letter to priests, religious and faithful of the Diocese of Rome, the Cardinal Vicar Baldassare Reina defined the life of St. John Paul II as a "great gift", "for his pastoral service in our diocese", and invited to participate in the thanksgiving for Pope Wojtyla.
