OTTAWA, May 13, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On Thursday night, Quebec City Archbishop Marc Cardinal Ouellet addressed the annual Rose Dinner which concludes Canada’s NationalÂMarch for Life. The Cardinal shared personal, touching and heartfelt testimony of his time in Rome both for the funeral of John Paul II and the election of Cardinal Josef Ratzinger as Pope.
Cardinal Ouellet, who is the Primate of Canada, said he was “very happy” to be with the gathered pro-lifers and partake in the event. He congratulated Campaign Life Coalition for organizing the March year after year, which he said “is bringing forward, little by little, a culture of life.”
Speaking of his remembrances and experiences in Rome, Cardinal Ouellet noted that prior to his death, John Paul II from his deathbed called out to the youth of the world saying I have called you and you have come, thank you. This final outreach to the youth was answered after his death, says the Cardinal, as “In Rome the population doubled and most of them were young men and women.” After the applause died down the Cardinal continued, “They wanted to say farewell, adieu, to this man who had stood for the gospel, the gospel of life and the dignity of the human being, a witness of Jesus Christ, one of the greatest of our times.”
The Primate of Canada also recalled the final encounter between Pope John Paul II and the current Pope. On the morning of the day of his death, said Cardinal Ouellet, John Paul II received Cardinal Ratzinger and said to him in German, “Danke”, thank-you. “He knew he had a great debt of gratitude (to) this other great man of the church, Josef Ratzinger now BenedictXVI.”
Cardinal Ouellet also recalled Pope John Paul’s death which followed closely after his last reception of Holy Communion. As he discussed the final public blessing of John Paul II, the Cardinal was overcome with emotion, pausing some 10 seconds prior to resuming. “This was a great moment, I keep and treasure these moments in my heart as I return from Rome and I bring you . . . (pause) . . . I bring you this farewell, his last blessing as you could see the last image we have from Pope John Paul is his silent blessing at his window, silent blessing, he leaves us a great heritage of courage, of determination, of passion for life, for human life and for divine life which is the destiny of human life.”
Turning to the newly elected Pope, Cardinal Ouellet said, that he was sure Pope Benedict will continue the fight for life “with same courage and determination”. The Quebec Archbishop said he was “proud of the college of cardinals”. He added, “I am sure that with this Pope who is certainly the best man of the church, a holy man, a man of dialogue, a man of great heart, maybe the man of the church who will be less well presented in the press for many years, but who is one of the greatest personalities of the church.”
“We have learned to know John Paul II as a giant along the way of his pontificate,” said Cardinal Ouellet, “with Benedict the XVI we know from the outset that he is a giant.”
The Cardinal was evidently struck with the beauty and ceremony he partook in while in Rome. “As I return from Rome and share with you those impressions, I want to invite you, as I feel myself more committed to love the church and to have some more legitimate pride for belonging to the Catholic Church,” he said. Adding that he meant it without any negative sentiment “towards people belonging to other Christian confessions, especially when we gather around values like life, we are one, we are one.”
After reading a statement from the Catholic Organization for Life and Family, the Cardinal concluded, “In conclusion, in remembrance of the heritage of John Paul the II and in solidarity with Pope Benedict XVI I invite you in a special way, not only to continue in your commitment, your political and social commitment, but also to pray a little more for our political leaders who have to be sustained or converted by God’s grace, and I believe together we can do more . . . for the peace and progress of our country.”