The Pope in Arizona, September 14, 1987

god's eternal promise sunrise caresses the sonoran desert of arizona this is a place similar in climate and foliage to the land where the son of man walked and preached the word of his father in the nation of israel two thousand years ago comes now another man a first-time visitor to the great southwestern beauty of the new world his is a pilgrimage of hope love peace and unity in the work of service it is 8 30 monday morning september 14 1987. the anticipation of his arrival increases with each passing moment shepard one lands at sky harbor airport in phoenix arizona the preparations are over and the excitement of his visit will soon be realized [Music] after a year and a half of planning waiting and preparing for this day pope john paul ii arrives his host in the diocese of phoenix is bishop thomas j o'brien a man he personally ordained a bishop in january 1982 as the door of shepherd one opens the warm arizona sunshine reveals a smile on the face of the traveling pontiff a smile that will capture the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people who have come from throughout the southwest to see him to greet him to feel his presence carl joseph voitiwa born 67 years ago in varavitsa poland today for the first time in the history of humankind the vicar of christ the people's pope has come to embrace all the people of arizona catholic and non-catholic alike pope john paul ii the pilgrim pope most traveled pope of all time his journey has brought him halfway around the world to arizona to phoenix and the valley of the sun the diocese of phoenix is the fifth city on his scheduled tour he comes not only as pastor to 52 million american catholics but also as a head of a sovereign state when he lands in miami florida on september 10th he is greeted by president and mrs ronald reagan who welcome him warmly as will hundreds of thousands at each of his stops in columbia south carolina he talks with protestant leaders and participates in an ecumenical prayer service [Music] in new orleans louisiana catholic education is the focus in san antonio texas the church's work in social justice and catholic charities are emphasized in los angeles california the holy father meets with communications leaders from radio television print motion pictures and recording industries at a special teleconference for youth from los angeles the holy father was visibly moved by this moment pope once a laborer himself addresses the concerns of agricultural workers and growers in a religious context in san francisco he meets with religious men and women and with catholic laity in detroit he affirms the work of permanent deacons and their wives in support of the church pope john paul's love of people and his dedication to god have been the driving forces in a life which has been full of tragedies and challenges to overcome young carl voyage's mother died when he was nine with his fathered his brother he lived in a small second floor apartment next to the church of aravitsa a small town in southern poland then when carl was 12 his brother died at age 19 the nazis invaded his native land and he went underground with his father while on the nazi black list for helping jews find refuge carl votiva began his studies for the priesthood by the time he had reached the age of 30 he had received two doctorates and had become an accomplished actor author teacher and philosopher but above all he was a priest and later a bishop whose concern for his people eventually led to his election as holy father of the roman catholic church a narrow escape from death by an assassin's bullet has not deterred him from the dedicated effort to touch the members of his flock wherever they are throughout the world and to have them touch him this is saint joseph's hospital founded in 1896 by the sisters of mercy the pope's need to touch people is evident already in his first stop in phoenix although he is scheduled to go immediately into the hospital on seeing the crowd he cannot be stopped he wants to touch them wave to them and hug them he has chosen as his first official contact with the people of arizona a visit with children in the pediatric center of this catholic hospital children are drawn to john paul and he is drawn to them [Music] [Music] um you can keep this and um mike johnson she was born on june 29th about one pound five ounces would you like to hold her for a second uh-huh [Music] my third [Music] after being welcomed by john buckley president of saint joseph's and sister teresa marie perry superior general of the sisters of mercy the pontiff delivers a brief message of encouragement to thousands gathered in front of the hospital before beginning his motorcade through phoenix [Music] it is a special privilege for me a special grace to visit a hospital and to be near to the patients especially a hospital children many sick children are gathered here and they are receiving medical care of different kinds so i express this emotion created by the fact of meeting the suffering especially suffering of little you human beings human persons of of the children at the beginning i heard you you welcomed me singing stolach [Applause] it's not so easy to to accomplish this this wish this wishing not so easy it's not so easy to to live stall out hundred years in this in this earth but if if it can be possible it is all only possible through true love it's possible to live not only stole out hundred years but also the whole eternity when this eternity is charity when this eternity is love and we know that this eternity we expect is love for god is love thank you very much thank you isaac [Applause] pope john paul and bishop o'brien enter the famous popemobile a specially equipped vehicle in which the potipha can ride and be seen but be safe too the united states secret service is responsible for the safety of his holiness as for any head of state who visits the united states 150 000 people lined the three-mile parade route as the holy father and his entourage pass the faithful and the curious have come to see this people's pope this man of peace who has come to see [Music] them [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so [Music] everyone wants a glimpse of the pope many have been in place for hours some have camped out overnight thousands have traveled by plane bus automobile some have traveled thousands of miles to be in phoenix for this day for many who do not have tickets to the events this will be their only chance to see the holy father well this is a an event that is it's something special for phoenix and we just wanted to be a part of it and to see the pope and see what he had to say i knew a year ago when i the announcement was made i knew i'd be here the excitement i i just can't i'm just overcome by by everything you know became one with the people he seems to be able to reach out and touch them very easily and he seems to enjoy it very much too he's a national figure and just kind of like to get a chance to see him well i'm excited because my husband's family sold one of the first pieces of property that went to make this civic plaza and they were early members of saint mary's so the exciting thing about it to me is having the pope at our basilica i'm just so excited he's our god's representative on earth and he's my holy father and i'm just very very excited about seeing it at phoenix civic plaza in front of saint mary's basilica the atmosphere is festive as the entertainment continues from a three-day mexican-american fiesta and over one hundred thousand wait for the pope greatest day of my life i just feel real excited about it i think that he's done a lot for the catholic church oh my goodness who would want to miss the pope well glow may be an overstatement but there's a great deal of excitement and movement in the crowd and a great deal of happiness i see after all who else would get up at 5 30 in the morning draw people out at 5 30 in the morning to come here for the first time in history on the balcony of this basilica the head of the roman catholic church will speak to all the people of arizona saint mary's one of 32 minor basilicas in the united states is the oldest catholic church in phoenix it has been referred to as the mother church because it was from this site that other parishes were formed until 1928 it was the only catholic church in the city it was named an historic site in 1976 by the arizona historical society and placed on the national historic register in 1978 [Music] after blessing the church the holy father ascends to the outside balcony and is introduced to the people by bishop o'brien for the enthusiastic crowds the waiting is over the man they long to see is here they welcome him warmly [Applause] your holiness with a deep feeling of reverence and respect and with a heart full of joy i welcome you in the name of the people of god to our beautiful state of arizona and to this capital city of phoenix thank you dear friends dear brothers and sisters with fraternal esteem i extend to all of you the people of phoenix and the american southwest my greetings of joy and peace you have welcomed me with open arms i thank you for your most cordial hospitality [Music] hispano abrantes [Applause] by a happy act of providence my visit to arizona coincides with the 75th anniversary of arizona's statehood on this happy occasion i offer to all of you my best wishes and congratulations like all of america's southwest arizona faces challenges of amazing growth i am told that the motto of your state is detox deus god and riches and indeed you have all around you aim proof of this enrichment just as god enriches you so may you be channels of enrichment for others if we wish them to promote the tranquility of order in our world we must be deeply committed to that authentic development which contributes to the good of every person everywhere in all the dimensions of human life for this reason my appeal to america is for human solidarity throughout this land and far beyond its borders this is the culmination of true progress this is the measure of true greatness this is the condition of true and lasting peace for america and for the world god bless arizona god bless the city of phoenix [Applause] spiritual sanchez amen thank you very [Applause] much [Applause] [Applause] uh [Music] from the basilica it is a short ride to the ballroom of the phoenix civic plaza where the catholic health association a national organization of health care leaders is conducting a conference some 2 400 participants of catholic health care ministries are present those attending represent more than 1 catholic sponsored hospitals nursing homes and systems in the united states they will return to their work to share this experience with over seven hundred thousand full and part-time employees who serves six million inpatients and thirty four million outpatients each year the pontiff is welcomed by sister mary eileen wilhelm chairman of the board of the catholic health association and john curley cha president your holiness i am pleased and honored to greet you on behalf of the leadership of the catholic health care ministry i am sister mary eileen wilhelm a sister of mercy and as chairperson of the board of trustees of the catholic health association of the united states invite your blessing upon a ministry so clearly consonant with your own compassion for all those who suffer whether clergy religious or laity whether catholic or not we your brothers and sisters are joined with you today as the sacrament of christ present loving healing reconciling weeping praying working and always hoping through our witness and ministry we are evidence to all of the triumph of the cross your holiness we celebrate who we are what we are and where we are and it is with a special joy that we welcome you holy father to the family of the catholic health care ministry in the united states [Applause] dear brothers and sisters leaders in catholic health care in the joy and peace of our lord jesus christ i greet you and thank you for your warm welcome this meeting gives gives us the opportunity to honor and give thanks to god for one of the most extensive and fundamental works of the catholic church in the united states ultimately the purpose of the church's teaching in this field is to defend the innate dignity and fundamental rights of the human past disregard church cannot fail to emphasize the need to safeguard the life and integrity of the human embryo and fetus it is in the light of this fundamental truth that the church constantly proclaims and defends the dignity of human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death it is also in the light of this fundamental truth that we see the great evil of abortion and pertination today you are faced faced with new challenges new needs one of these is the present crisis of immense proportions which is that of eighths and eighths related complex besides your professional contribution and your human sensitivities to are all affected by this disease you are called to show the love and compassion of christ and his church it is up to you to ensure that this kindness and love of god our savior remains the heart and soul of catholic health services may god in whom we live and move and have our being sustain you by his grace god bless you your families and your contribution to america [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the holy father departs from the meeting just after noon for saint simon and jude cathedral on north 27th avenue director of the cathedral pastor of the parish father paul smith extends his greetings and escorts the holy father inside where over 1200 of the clergy religious and laity of the diocese as well as some ecumenical leaders of the valley attend a prayer service this beautiful church the home church of the diocese where bishop o'brien regularly celebrates mass has been decorated in honor of this special visitor from rome as the pope enters the cathedral the congregation bursts into spontaneous shouts of welcome five years ago holy father you ordained me and appointed me as bishop of this diocese [Music] i didn't ask for that applause holy father i am most grateful to you for the opportunity to serve the church of phoenix i'm also grateful for the wonderful community of people who work together in the ministry of this church we recognize the special ministry we owe to the native americans the hispanic people and the elderly in our community together we look to the future with faith with hope and the love of our neighbors as we labor to build up the body of christ god bless you holy father and welcome [Music] so dear bishop o'brien dear brothers and sisters in christ it is a joy for me to come to the cathedral of saint simon jude and to be with you who make up this local church in phoenix this house of plain and worship this mother church of diocese is named after two of twelve of the twelve apostles two men of courageous faith who personally received from our risen savior the mandate to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth jesus said to them and the rest of the twelve go therefore and my disciples of all the nations baptize them in the name of the father and of the son of the holy spirit teach them to carry out everything i have commanded you the church in phoenix like every other local church in the world is the fruit of evangelization the gospel was first brought to arizona three hundred three hundred years ago by the renowned jesuit missionary father jose aquino also known as the apostle of sonora and arizona and great personal sacrifice father kino work tirelessly to establish missions throughout this area so that the good news concerning our lord jesus christ might take root among the people living here on this day when catholics around the world celebrate the triumph of the cross the church invites us to look once again at the meaning of our christian discipleship to understand the sacrifices it involves and place all our hope in our crucified and risen savior oh triumphant cross of christ inspire us to continue the task of evangelization o glorious cross of christ strengthen us to proclaim and live the gospel of salvation o victorious cross of christ our only hope lead us to the joy and peace of the resurrection and eternal life with this meditation proper to logical character of today i greet all of you the whole church diocesan church of phoenix in arizona i greet from all my heart your bishop all the priests religious women and men all lay people engaged in the apostolate of the church we all together are very gracious very grateful to our brothers of christ other christian churches and the glacier communities we are also very grateful to the jewish community of phoenix for their presence among us in this moment i am very grateful to all of you for this cordial reception i am getting in your city thank you very much [Applause] [Applause] the lord of all kings [Music] [Applause] foreign [Music] it is now 1 30 pm of the day in phoenix pope john paul ii will join his host for a private luncheon at bishop o'brien's residence there he will also have a brief rest before continuing the activities of this long and exceptional day [Music] the takakwitha conference a national gathering of native american catholics its name comes from an outstanding mohawk woman khitary takakwefa who is being considered for sainthood [Music] oh [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] um [Music] hey [Music] i am [Music] hey [Music] on behalf of the native american people emmett white from the pema tribe blesses the holy father with an eagle feather an important symbol of peace love and respect [Music] present this feather to you on behalf of all the native americans in the north american continent foreign by your choice of the lowest reverend donald pilate as our first native american vision he will now speak words of welcome on our behalf [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] holy father welcome welcome holy father [Music] the native catholic community the tech acquisite conference participants and our our invited guests from the many native communities throughout the original homelands welcome you to america [Music] we want you to know that we love you very much holy father mrs alfreda and tone vice president of the salt river pima tribe when i'll speak to you about the cares and concerns of our native catholic people your holiness pope john paul ii the indian nations of the americas welcome you and thank you for this sacred time with you today we ask your holiness to do all in your prayer power and influence to help us secure for our present and future generations the following first that our people determine our own destiny second that our people be recognized respected and treated as equals third that to live in harmony as brothers and sisters on our mother earth we must share equally in the educational health and social benefits of the americas in the name of all native americans we ask your holiness for your blessing and guidance as we walk together with god as we live here on mother earth for all time to come [Music] [Applause] [Music] the native americans share many gifts with the holy father dear brothers and sisters i have greatly looked forward [Music] to this visit with you original peoples of this vast country i greet you with love and respect and as i greet you i wish to tell you how pleased i am to find among you one of your sons raised to the episcopalis bishop fellow [Applause] i thank you for inviting me to be with you and for sharing with me some aspects of your rich and ancient culture the best known witness of christian holiness among the native peoples of north america is cartery techaquita [Applause] whom i had the privilege seven seven years ago of declaring blessed and of holding up to the whole church and the world as an announced outstanding example of christian life i directly appeal to you especially to you young native americans to discover if jesus is calling you to the priesthood or to the religious life hear him and follow him he will never let you down he will lead you in the church to serve your own peoples and others in the best way possible in love and apostolic generosity surely the time has come for the native peoples of america to have a new life in jesus christ [Music] the new life of adopted children of god with all its consequences may the church in your midst your own community of faith and fellowship truly bear witness to the new life that comes from the cross and resurrection of our lord and savior jesus christ continuing to forge new trails for unity and the work of service pope john paul has again won the hearts of the people [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so as the final event of the day pope john paul celebrates mass for 78 000 at arizona state university in tempe [Music] for those who are here it is an incredible moment in their lives so [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] so [Applause] [Music] so [Music] all [Music] the name of the father of the son of the holy spirit [Music] peace be with you holy father you have been with us throughout the day and what a blessing and a gift it has been we welcome and salute you tonight as the universal pastor of our church coming to this sacred moment during your visit to celebrate with us in word and sacrament the faithful the southwest have assembled and worshiped countless times before but never have we assembled as we do tonight to all of you who have come this evening i welcome you and thank you for your presence i'm also mindful of the thousands of our brothers and sisters who cannot be with us physically but join us through the media of television and radio the people assembled before you holy father are your people tonight as we celebrate with you we lift up our hearts to the lord and we rely on the power of god [Applause] god our father in obedience to you your only son accepted death on the cross for the salvation of all we acknowledge the mystery of the cross on earth may we receive the gift of redemption in heaven we ask this through our lord jesus christ your son who lives and reigns with you and the holy spirit one god forever and ever de los numeros a reading from the letter of paul to the philippians god highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name above every other name so that at jesus's name every knee must bend in the heavens on the earth and under the earth and every tongue proclaimed to the glory of god the father jesus christ is lord this is the word of the we lord you oh christ and we praise you because by the holy cross [Music] the lord be with you a reading from the holy gospel according to [Music] john [Music] jesus said to nicodemus no one goes up to heaven except the one who came down from there the son of man who is in heaven just as moses lifted up the serpent in the desert so must the son of man be lifted that all who believe may have eternal life in him yes god so loved the world but he gave his only son that whoever believes in him may not die but may have eternal life god did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him this is the gospel of the lord [Music] dear brothers and sisters on this day when i have the joy of celebrating the eucharist with you here in phoenix let our first thoughts be directed to the victorious cross of our savior to the son of man who is lifted up let us adore and praise christ our crucified and risen lord to him and to the father and the holy spirit be glory and thanksgiving now are for forever how good it is to join our voices in praise of god on this feast of the triumph of cross and how appropriate to celebrate the feast here in the city of phoenix which burst the name of an ancient symbol often depicted in christian art to represent the meaning of the victorious cross the phoenix was a legendary bird that after dying rose again from its own ashes thus it came to be a symbol of christ who after dying on the cross once again in the triumph over sin and death from the very early days until now phoenix has been a city to which people have come for health care for relief of suffering for new beginnings and fresh starts today as in the past the church welcomes such people offering them love and understanding she is grateful to the sick and elderly for the special mission which they fulfill in the kingdom of our savior your hospitality which i myself have also received reflects the beautiful saying in spanish me casa sukhas i pray that you will always remain faithful to this tradition of christian community and general selves by such fidelity to your christian heritage through the sacrament of the undaunting anointing of the sick and in the celebration of the holy eucharist you express your deep conviction that suffering and death are not the last words of life the last word is the word made flesh the crucified and risen christ and this is this is how god continues among us from one generation to the next as our rook as our redeemer this is the mystery of the triumph of the cross the rock of our salvation let us fix our gaze upon the crows let us be reborn from it let us return to god may the humiliation of christ is being brought along by means of the cross serve once again to lift up humanity toward god lift up your hearts amy god of all consolation you chose and set your son to heal the world graciously listen to our prayer of faith send the power of your holy spirit the counselor into this precious oil this soothing ointment this rich gift this fruit of the earth bless this oil and sanctify it for our use make this oil a remedy for all who are anointed with it heal them in body in soul and spirit and deliver them from every affliction we ask this through our lord jesus christ your son who lives and reigns with you and the holy spirit one god forever [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] i [Music] oh [Music] let us pray father in heaven through this whole anointing grant our brothers and sisters comfort in their suffering when they are afraid give them courage when afflicted give them patience when ejected afford them hope and when alarm assure them of the support of your holy people we ask this through christ our lord [Music] [Applause] oh father you are whole indeed and all creation rightly gives you praise all life all holiness comes from you through your son jesus christ our lord by the working of the holy spirit from age to age you gather a people to yourself so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of your name and so father we bring you these gifts we ask you to make them holy by the power of your spirit that they may become the body and blood of your son our lord jesus christ whose command we celebrate this eucharist on the night he was betrayed he took bread and gave you dance and praise he broke the blade gave it to his disciples and said take this all of you and eat it this is my bond which will be given up for you when the supper was sent he took the car again he gave you dance and praise gave the cup to his disciples and said take this all of you and drink from it this is the car of my blood the blood of a new and everlasting covenant will be shed for you and for all men so that sins may be forgiven do this in memory of me let us proclaim the mystery of faith father calling to mind the death your son endured for our salvation his glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven and ready to greet him when he comes again we offer you in thanksgiving this whole and living sacrifice look with favor on the chair on your church's offering and see the victim whose death is reconcile us to to yourself grant that we were nourished by his body and blood may be filled with his holy spirit and become one body one spirit in christ may he make us an everlasting gift to you and enable us to share in the inheritance of your saints with mary the virgin mother of god with the apostles the martyrs and all your saints on whose constant intercession we rely for help lord may this sacrifice which has made our peace with you advance the peace and salvation of all the world strengthen in faith and love your pilgrim church on earth your servant pope john paul thomas the bishop of this diocese and all the bishops with the clergy and the entire people your son has gained for you father hear the prayers of the family you've gathered here before you in mercy and love unite all your children wherever they may be let us pray with confidence to the father in the words our savior gave us [Music] [Applause] um uh [Music] uh so [Music] deliver us lord from every evil and grant us peace in our day in your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all outside as we wait in joyful for hope for the coming of our savior jesus christ [Applause] [Music] [Applause] lord jesus christ you said to your apostles i leave you peace my peace i give you look not on our sins but on the faith of your church and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live forever and ever the peace of the lord be with you always let us offer each other a sign of peace [Music] one [Music] so [Music] yes [Music] this is the lamb of the world of the of god who takes away the sins of the world happier those who are called to his son lord i am not worthy to receive but only save the world and i shall be here [Music] so [Music] foreign [Applause] so [Music] already [Music] [Applause] [Music] one [Music] oh [Music] foreign [Music] is are free [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] oh please we are [Music] great [Music] foreign [Music] we are [Music] [Applause] [Applause] so [Music] so [Music] hello [Music] oh this has been the largest event in the history of arizona an exceptional man has reached out to all the people in the work of brotherhood and love for the rest of their lives they will recall the day unlike any other when a man of god a holy man came to arizona to reach out to them in love peace and unity [Music] the people's pope came to arizona and we will never be the same [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] so [Music] [Applause] god bless you all [Music] yes [Music] you [Applause] oh you

Channel: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix

Views: 189,438

Rating: 4.7771835 out of 5

Keywords: Catholic, Catholicism, Holy Mass, Mass, Phoenix, Arizona, Religion, TV, Priests, Liturgy, Worship, Eucharist, Sunday, Gospel, Praise, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Watch, Pope, Pope John Paul II (Religious Leader), Pope John Paull II, St. John Paul II, 1987, September, Papal Visit

Id: zjie9xNr3vI

Length: 90min 39sec (5439 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 22 2015