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June 13, 2001
John XXIII moved to final resting place in reverent ceremony
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Flanked by the recently exhumed and treated body of Pope John XXIII, Pope John Paul II praised his predecessor for attentively following the Holy Spirit's guidance, particularly in convoking the Second Vatican Council.
The former pontiff's body, laid with arms crossed in a luminous glass casket decked with red and yellow roses, rested at the side of the altar in St. Peter's Square for the Pentecost Mass June 3, before being moved to a newly prepared resting place in the basilica.
"We have the joy to host, near the altar, the venerated remains of Blessed John XXIII,'' said Pope John Paul, to repeated bursts of applause.
The pope said his predecessor, during his "brief but intense'' pontificate, was "extremely docile to the action of the Spirit'' and an "admirable witness of (God's) love.''
"He let the Spirit mold him day-by-day, seeking with patient tenacity to conform himself increasingly to (God's) will. This is the secret behind the goodness with which he conquered the people of God and many people of good will,'' he said.
Before the Mass, which also marked the 38th anniversary of Pope John's death, the former pontiff's body was wheeled in procession through the square on a red-draped platform. After an initial light applause, the crowd of about 30,000 fell silent, many of them blessing themselves as his casket went past.
Pope John Paul, who arrived after the glass coffin reached the altar, paused briefly to bow to his predecessor's body before beginning the Mass.
``I would like to underline that the most precious gift left by Pope John to the people of God was himself, that is to say, his witness of holiness,'' the Polish pontiff said in his homily.
He said the Second Vatican Council, which Pope John opened in 1962, took ``the form of a renewed Pentecost,'' the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.
``Even in our time,'' the pope said, ``the church is passed through by a `strong driving wind.' It is experiencing the Spirit's divine breath, which opens it to evangelization of the world."
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