Celebrated the feast of Saint John Paul II

Catholic church leaders paid tribute to Saint John Paul II on Thursday, his feast.

In a Facebook post, the Bishop of Tagbilaran Alberto Uy remembered John Paul II as a “great pope” and a “great saint.”

Other church leaders also shared their memory of the beloved saint.

The Bishop of Pasig Mylo Vergara published a photo of his meeting with the pontiff when he was still a young priest.

“Blessed to hold the hand of Saint John Paul II when he was still a young priest. He was also the one who appointed me bishop in 2005 before he died that same year, ”he said on his Facebook page.

Father Aris Sison from the Diocese of Cubao also shared photos of his meeting with the then Pope.

“I remember with gratitude these encounters with the Holy Father who is now holy. Pray for us and bless us from heaven, Saint John Paul II! ” he said.

Karol Józef Wojtyła was born on May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland. He was ordained a priest in 1946, became Bishop of Ombi in 1958, and became Archbishop of Krakow in 1964. He was made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1967, and in 1978 he became the first non-Italian Pope in over 400 years. . He was a staunch defender of human rights and used his influence to bring about political change. He was pope for 27 years from 1978 to 2005, becoming the second longest-serving pope in modern history after Pope Pius IX.

Pope John Paul II is the most traveled pope in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. He visited the Philippines twice: in February 1981, when he beatified the first Filipino martyr, Lorenzo Ruiz, and in January 1995, when approximately 4 million Filipinos attended the mass he celebrated at the end of World Youth Day, which was considered the largest individual gathering in Christian history.

He died at the age of 84 in the Vatican on April 2, 2005, the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday. He was beatified on May 1, 2011 (Divine Mercy Sunday) in Saint Peter’s Square by Pope Benedict XVI, his immediate successor and canonized on April 27, 2014 (again Divine Mercy Sunday), along with the Pope John XXIII.