As John Paul beatification nears, criticism mounts

[piusx1914]

The strange part of this to me is that October 22 will be the Feast Day of JP2.  In 1978 he was elected pope on October 16 and then installed as pope on the 22nd. 

If, as the Vatican is saying, JP2 is being beatified due to his personal sanctity, rather than as a judgement of his papacy, it seems rather odd to me to establish his feast day on the day he was installed as pope.

Actually, shouldn't have said it seems odd - it makes complete sense.  It seems the personal sanctity angle is just an excuse to get it pushed through.

[Antonius Josephus]

I fondly recall JPII from my youth; especially as a boy of Polish descent. I applaud his stance against communism and his efforts to keep the Church afloat.

But, as I look back, I must admit that there was much more he could have done. JPII had so many years of chances to stem the modernist tide and bring traditionalism squarely back to the Church. There were a lot of missed chances and dropped balls with this and so many other things that I cannot but agree that fast-tracking him to sainthood is not the right move.

If he is truly destined to be amongst the great saints, time will tell. It took many long years for many of our greatest saints to manifest miracles and be properly canonized. Fast-tracking seems to be more for public approval than a serious recognition of achieved sainthood.