It was a humbling experience to have been invited to participate as a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury's delegation to Pope John Paul II's funeral mass representing not only the American Episcopal Church and our Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold but also the Convocation of American Churches in Europe and our Bishop Pierre Whalon. Our delegation was placed in seats of honor near the high Altar next to the Bishops of Italy and the Eastern Orthodox and Ecumenical representatives and opposite the nearly two-hundred heads of State.
The Roman Catholic liturgical rite for the funeral mass of a Pope was filled with grace, dignity and godly reverence. The spiritual atmosphere was one of awe and joy. Yet it was almost surreal to have such a deep sense of security. Only the helicopters above reminded us of the dangers of extremists and terrorism. Nevertheless, we were there to celebrate the life of an extraordinary Pope. John Paul II was for the whole world first and foremost a faithful man of God. It appears that the entire world has recognized and celebrated this gift and example of faith. He embodied Christ's spirit of peace, compassion, reconciliation, and divine love for all God's people, rich and poor. The vast numbers of people who attended the funeral, representing a new dynamic in our global inter-faith relationships and the interdependent, though traditionally diverse, ecumenical households of Christian witness, were made to feel welcome and cherished by the Roman hierarchy. This is a tribute to John Paul II whose strong faith in the universal work of Christ's redemption made this possible. The liturgy clearly communicated God's love for all people of faith and goodness as well as clearly upholding, by liturgical symbol and gesture, the God-given human dignity of all humanity. Through the traditional Christian rituals of burial which in an unprecedented way the entire world was able to see via advanced communication technologies, the global human family was able to reflect on the importance of one's own spiritual life with God, equality with each other, the necessity of unity, the imperatives of social justice and the presence of the goodness of God.
This sometimes controversial Pope recognized that Europe is rapidly becoming a multicultural inter-faith society. John Paul II embodied not only for Europe but for the whole world Christ's embracing spirit of reconciliation, peace, social justice, and love in community. Despite the Church's as yet unsettled doctrinal, moral, ethical and sexuality issues John Paul's life and his death give testimony to Christ Jesus' admonishment, “ Be not afraid”. The whole world has witnessed the profound teachings of Christ in this Pope's life journey and surely all people can find a personal message for themselves in their own journey with God. I did.
The Rev. Dr. Michael L. Vono +
Rector
St. Paul's Within-the-Walls
Rome, Italy
