Before his death, pope prayed to 'go to the house of the Father'

Published: 2005-09-19

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II's last words before his death were "Let me go to the house of the Father," according to the Vatican's official account of his final hours. The pope murmured the phrase in Polish "with a very weak voice and mumbled words" to those gathered at his bedside six hours before he died April 2, the Vatican said. The detailed chronology was contained in a special 223-page supplement to the "Acta Apostolica Sedis," the official record of Vatican documents and acts, released Sept. 19. Most of the account deals with previously published information about the pope's deteriorating medical condition, the actions taken at his death, the arrangements for his funeral and his final testament. The volume also contained more than 150 pages of condolence messages and testimonials that arrived from political and religious leaders around the world.

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