Is the sainthood of Pope John Paul II being rushed?

Photo courtesy of vatican.va

I found this National Catholic Reporter column, posted on Jesuit Father James Martin’s Facebook wall, to be interesting.

It examines if the church is rushing the potential sainthood of Pope John Paul II and the logic behind the sainthood push just a few years after his death. His May beatifcation certainly has created a stir. Many are celebrating what they think was a foregone conclusion when he died- he was a saint. While he defined what a pope meant to me, I’d prefer a patient analysis of my saints. If he spent a lifetime in service of God, then his entire lifetime should be examined thoroughly.

Both Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa have the benefit of being Catholic leaders in the television age. Both were tremendous leaders and examples to millions of how to live a Catholic life. Someone like Mother Mary Lange, still waits for sainthood because there is not as much available as there is for the more well-known Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa.

Where do you stand on this? Are you a person who says, “Why wait?”

Catholic Review

The Catholic Review is the official publication of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

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