Pope Benedict says Pope John Paul 'is watching us from on high'

Published: 2005-05-18

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Marking the birthday of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI told pilgrims they can be certain that Pope John Paul II "is watching us from on high and is with us." The pope spoke at a general audience May 18, before some 25,000 visitors who braved intermittent rain showers in St. Peter's Square. "I'd like to recall that today is the birthday of Pope John Paul II. He would have been 85 today. And we are sure that he is watching us from on high and is with us," the pope said before beginning his regular audience talk. "On this occasion, we want to give great thanks to the Lord for the gift of this pope, and we want to say thank you to the pope himself for all that he did and all that he suffered," Pope Benedict said, as the crowd broke into sustained applause. Hundreds of thousands of people have come to St. Peter's to visit the tomb of the late pontiff, who died April 2.

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .