The Republic: Pope John Paul was always a man who was "impatient to be close to the Lord", the Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin said at a Mass in Dublin's Pro-Cathedral last night.
He explained how the Pope's "entire routine was built around a discipline of prayer". His rosary "was always at the ready, in the car, on a helicopter, indeed even as meetings got into their less interesting moments", he said.
Among those who celebrated the Mass for Pope John Paul with Archbishop Martin were Cardinal Desmond Connell and the papal nuncio, Archbishop Giuseppe Lazarotto. The Archdeacon of Dublin, Ven David Pierpoint, represented the Church of Ireland.
Among the overflow attendance were Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Capt Lorraine Fahy representing President McAleese, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin, and Mr Pat Carey TD. The Polish ambassador, Mr Witold Sobkow also attended.
"We pray for the Pope, we thank God for the Pope," said Archbishop Martin. He described Pope John Paul, as "truly a rock" who "even in his suffering continued to strengthen the faith of his brethren, and touched the hearts of many, even those who did not share his Christian faith".
His pontificate was "marked from its inception by an enormous dynamism and clear sightedness. Just think of his apostolic journeys, of his role in the fall of communism," he said.
"He spoke at a time when it was almost political heresy to challenge the status quo so categorically.
"Today, thank God, we live in a very different Europe where the hollowness of the Yalta system is evident to all." But despite Pope John Paul's clear political insights he was not a politician, the Archbishop said. "He was above all a pastor, a priest and a bishop. I can remember watching the extraordinary energy with which, Sunday after Sunday, he headed out of the Vatican to a different parish in his diocese of Rome and seeing him return, tired but rejuvenated, at times late into the evening, having met all the various groups in the parish."
There was "no holding him back in his ministry, even until Wednesday last when against all advice he appeared at his window so as not to leave disappointed a large group of young people gathered in Saint Peter's Square".
Cardinal Connell spoke to The Irish Times of the "awful loss" Pope John Paul's death would be. "In a certain way he dwelt in silence, a silence filled up with the presence of God. He spoke from that silence. He spoke to me from that silence." As well as a sense of loss there was also "immense gratitude to God, for the gift of such a Pope", he said.
Mr Ahern said the numbers at last night's Mass "showed the great love of the people of Dublin for the Pope".
He recalled meeting Pope John Paul at the consistory which saw Cardinal Connell elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2001, and how he had the inquired about "all the people of Ireland".
