Record of the Week: The Pope Recovers

On this day in 1981, the Church and the world were shocked and saddened when Pope Saint John Paul II was shot while riding in an open vehicle through a crowded St. Peter's Square. It was just one in a spate of shootings at the time; John Lennon, Ronald Regan and Anwar Sadat were all victims within the same year.

In Toronto, Catholics and people from other faiths came together to pray for the Pope's recovery. His importance as a leader and advocate for peace was widely recognized.

Cardinal Carter considered Pope Saint John Paul a friend. In a letter dated June 8th, 1981, he wrote,

"You burst upon the scene of history like a meteor. Your charisma appears to be exactly what a tired world required. And we observed with admiration, and even awe, the impact which you were making on all parts of the world and in all realms of thought even among people who are far from sharing in our religious convictions. The concept of your being eliminated by this thoughtless act appeared to me to be intolerable. But I must confess that in all humility I offered myself in your place. I immediately decreed a public Mass in my Cathedral in thanksgiving for your salvation and in petition for your prompt and perfect reestablishment. I preached myself and one of the things which I said and which seems to have been very much appreciated by the gathering, which included the Greek and Anglican hierarchy, was that you were such a man that there could be no doubt that when you took the See of Peter you also offered your life in all its dimensions. And I said, "This is a very dangerous thing to say to the Lord because sometimes He takes us at our word. therefore the Pope was ready and is ready to die for the Church." This is a form of martyrdom and it is not underneath your capacity. The willingness after all is the real baptism of blood."

In reply, the Pope sent the letter below:

Signed letter from Pope Saint John Paul II.

September 18, 1981
Cardinal Carter Fonds

The Pope recovered fully, and went on to lead an exceptional Papacy for 24 more years. After this incident however, his security was taken more seriously (he was previously one of the most accessible Popes in history), and his 'Popemobile' was fitted with bulletproof glass.

Pope Saint John Paul II set an amazing example for us in 1983 when he visited his shooter in prison and personally forgave him. Although the shooter was sentenced to life in prison, he was pardoned by the Italian president at the Pope's request in 2000.

Are you going to the [Cottage, Cabin, Camp, Chalet]?

In this part of the world, the Victoria Day Weekend is known as the start of cottage season. Today thousands will pack up the kids and leave the city to head north to open the cottage and for the first sweet taste of summer.

There's nothing more relaxing than sitting in the middle of the woods listening to the birds in the trees and the loons on the lake. As John Burroughs put it, "I go to nature to be soothed and healed, to have my senses put in order." Even our bishops have been known to escape to the cottage once in a while...

Emmet Cardinal Carter with his mother, Minnie Carter at Fourteen Island Lake, 1946. Cottages can be a great place to spend time with family.
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Archbishop Pocock spent some time with friends, including Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie Alexander Carter, at a cottage in the 1970s. I would love to have been able to hear some of the conversations that happened in this circle!
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Archbishop Philip Pocock relaxes at a cottage in the 1970s. This looks like a great place to nap, and the dog knows it!
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Even the Pope needs a cottage getaway once in a while! Saint John Paul II relaxed for a few days with the Basilian Fathers on Strawberry Island in Lake Simcoe during his visit to Toronto for World Youth Day in 2002. The Archdiocese's own Emanuel Pires had the opportunity to have lunch with him, which you can read about on the Archdiocesan Blog.

Emanuel Pires, Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, and Pope John Paul II on Strawberry Island in July 2002.
Photo courtesy of Emanuel Pires.

ARCAT wishes everyone a fun and safe holiday weekend. Don't forget the sunscreen!

Record of the Week: Photos of the Church's newest saints

Photograph of Pope John XXIII with Toronto Mayor Nathan Phillips and his wife.
[between 1958 and 1962]
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Pope John Paul II arrives at Pearson Airport September 14, 1984 for the
Toronto/Huronia leg of the Papal Visit to Canada
Photograph courtesy RCMP/GRC

On Sunday, two former popes - Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II - will be canonized.

The Archdiocese of Toronto has created a website that includes biographies, stories from people who met the Popes and local events celebrating the canonizations.  There is also a list of the many monuments, schools, parishes and other buildings in the archdiocese named after the Church's two newest saints.

ARCAT created a display of photos, papal medals depicting the Popes, as well as ephemera from the 1984 Papal Visit to Canada.

Our latest display in the entrance of the Catholic Pastoral Centre. 

This Day in History: Archbishop Ambrozic becomes Cardinal Ambrozic

On February 21, 1998, Most Reverend Archbishop Aloysius Matthew Ambrozic became His Eminence Aloysius Matthew Cardinal Ambrozic. 

Aloysius Matthew Ambrozic was born in Gaberje, Slovenia on January 27, 1930. In September of 1948 he and his family emigrated to Canada where he studied philosophy and theology at St. Augustine's Seminary. On June 4, 1955, he was ordained priest by Cardinal McGuigan in St. Michael's Cathedral. 

On March 26, 1976, Father Ambrozic was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto. He was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Toronto on May 22, 1986, and succeeded as Archbishop in March 17, 1990.

On January 18, 1998 Pope John Paul II nominated Archbishop Ambrozic a Cardinal, and he was elevated to the College on February 21.  

Cardinal Ambrozic retired as Archbishop of Toronto on December 16, 2006. He passed away on August 26, 2011 and was interred in the Bishops’ Mausoleum at Holy Cross Cemetery, Toronto.

Cardinal Ambrozic receives a red watered silk biretta from Pope John Paul II. This photo was published by L'Osservatore Romano in Rome, Italy.

ARCAT holds the above biretta (displayed on our nifty head model) owned by Cardinal Ambrozic. Birettas are worn by clergy from Cardinals to Seminarians, and are thought to have been derived from academic caps of the middle ages. The clerical biretta has three peaks, and is always worn with the non-peaked corner facing left so that the wearer can grab the middle peak with his right hand.