THE Pope delayed his admission to hospital until yesterday evening in order to preside over the beatification of Edmund Rice, founder of the Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers.
John Paul II also beatified 13 Polish martyrs killed in 1874 for refusing forced conversion to the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as a Spanish and a Ukranian nun, also founders of Catholic school movements.
There was intense international media interest in the event held in St Peter's Square because of the Pope's poor health, with speculation that this might be his last public appearance for some time.
Nearly 5,000 Irish pilgrims and 2,000 people with Christian Brothers associations from around the world attended yesterday morning's open air Mass. The Pope said Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice was "a shining example of the fruitfulness of the Christian life" when we "fill our minds with everything that is true, noble, good and pure". He said Rice "helped the clergy of his parish meet the pressing needs of his fellow citizens oppressed by poverty and the weight of anti Catholic legislation".
He quoted the Christian Brothers founder's intention: "Trusting in God's help, I hope to be able to educate these boys to be good Catholics and good citizens."
"Once more, Ireland has given the church and the world a striking testimony of complete fidelity to Christ," he concluded.
Blessed Edmund Rice's feast day will be May 5th.
In a fresh plea for an end to violence in Northern Ireland, the Pope said: "Nothing is lost through peace. Everything can be lost through violence. God bless Ireland." He added: "Let us all pray that the Irish people will put tension and conflict behind them and go on to build a brighter and more serene future for the younger generation."
Several Irish people took part in the ceremony. Archbishop Desmond Connell said Rice's "prime motivation was spiritual". He was remarkable for his trust in Divine Providence, his love of the Eucharist, his spirit of prayer, his patience under trial, his unselfish dedication to the poor.
The world leader of the Christian Brothers, Brother Edmund Garvey, read from Philippians urging consideration of "all that is true, all that deserves respect, all that is honest, pure, admirable, decent, virtuous or worthy of praise".
The Irish Superior of the Irish Presentation Sisters, Sister Elizabeth Starken, emphasised the contemporary social justice element in Rice's legacy: "In a world where special interests continue to give rise to new forms of marginalisation and poverty, in a world where the young are the most vulnerable victims of new forms of exploitation, grant, O Lord, that there may always be those who follow in the footsteps of Blessed Edmund Rice."
Mr Kevin Ellison, a health and safety officer with Armagh Council whose recovery from massive bowel failure and internal bleeding 20 years ago was attributed to Rice's intercession, presented the Pope with a relic, a piece of Blessed Edmund's bone. Brother Joe Bell brought a chalice made by Michael Casey of Ferbane, Co Offaly, out of 6,500 year old bog oak. Flowers were presented by a catechist, Ms Ann Cleary, and a worker in the Beatification Office in Australia, Ms Marguerite Ryan.
Brother Donal Leader, director of the Marino Institute of Education in Dublin, told The Irish Times that three of the people being beatified had been pioneers in Catholic education.
"Catholic education is not about being part of the counter Reformation anymore, it's not about defending Catholic values per se," he said. "It's about Catholic values as seen in a much broader human enterprise, about trying to bring to the fore the potential of individual people and particularly disadvantaged people, to make a contribution to society."