{UAH} Millions at Rome canonization

The great historical ceremony went on very well, and now the two

great Popes are saints, St Jhon XXIII and St John Paul II. The occasion was witnessed

by the millions of pilgrims who have been flocking Rome since the Holy Week. So many

pilgrims that at 8 am, two hours before the start of the ceremony, a million of them had already

peopled St Peter's Square and the neighbouring streets. And very many others watched on giant screens 

or from cinema halls, churches or hotels, hostels and those homes that had volunteered to host pilgrims.

And the world followed the ceremonies thanks to Mondovision and the 9 satellite medias that enabled

a colossal more than 2 billion viewers to be almost literary present at the Vatican! African representation was

very impressive and sound! Many African pilgrims were very smartly attired in fabrics and materials that bore

the portraits of the two saints. And, in addition to several special delegations from thje continent, there were the

Presidents of Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and, of course, as usual, Zimbabwe with a Robert Mugabe

and part of his family appreciated by tghe crowds! There was also the ex-President of Ivory Coast.

Indeed Africa contributed so much to this glamorous event wherez Africa had begun to shine days earlier especially

witgh a forum organized at the Pontifical Urbanian University of rome on the theme,

          " Africa's tribute to Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II"

Participating as guest speakers at the forum were Africa's world-famous cardinals Laurent Pasinya Monsengwo,

John Onaiyekan, Robert Sarah, and Peter Turckson. They all impressed the hundreds of people in attendance. 

The great forum, which had a TV coverage, was concluded with Holy Mass celebrated by another very prestigious African cardina, Francis Arinze.

Of course, African cheers and ululations didn't miss the feast! They were heard throughout! Many African pilgrims almost madly cheered Pope Francis especially when he finioshed reading the canonization decree and when also his famous popemobile made a tour of the vast Square and neighbourhoods to salute the pilgrims, at the end of the ceremony. African cheers also joined those of the rest of the huge congregation to greet Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, seen now as a great Church hero who had the courage to request a handover of his heavy charge to another Pope for the good of the Church, in his judgement.

After this dual canonization .there is now a lot of talk about many things. Some are trying to guess why the Pope chose to canonize two very great Popes at the same time! Answers point to his will to put both the progressive and conservative wings of the Church in one basket and under his masterly strategic role to fully contain them to the advantage of the papacy and the entire Church, a church which he wants to be fast moving but in a simple humble stature. 

There is also talk geared at comparing the degree of popularity enjoyed by both Pope Francis and St John Paul II.

Of course both are very popularly loved individuals.Observers equally praise both of them. While they point to St John Paul II's globe-trotting to reach everyone and his conservative stand on many issues, they tend to see in Pope Francis a man resolved to reform the Church Government Administration ( the Curia), and a person with a tolerant approach to many questions where he would love to pull everyone on board, and they praise the choice of the trips he has so far made, including that of Lampedusa Island in Italy where he appealed to authorities to be generous towards those clandestines who arrive tghere in makeshift boats. Thje Pope has convinced Europe that such poor people are thrown out of their regions by harsh economic conditions created by an unfair planning carried out by international financial bodies.

Another question frequently heard now is to seek to know who would be the next Pope for glorification. Pointers have put a finger on Pope Pius XII ( 1939 - 1958 ) who should already have been canonized if his wartime pontificate had been fully studied. Pope Francis is said to facilitate the opening of all Vatican archives dealing with the World War II situation.

Officially they should be open,ed four years from now but the Pope is likely to advance the date so that researchers begin to havbe a look at the more than one million pages the archives contain. 

Good luck for Pope Pius XII whose pontificate did so much to Africa!

Dr G.H. Kkolokolo ( Paris / France )