Pope John Paul II
May 18, 1920-April 02, 2005
Requiescat in pace.
Attached is a set of lesson plans you can use in your catechetical or school religion programs to
catechize about the death of the Holy Father.
Please note:
• Basic information about Pope John Paul’s life is contained in the lesson plan for primary
grades.
• Basic information about apostolic succession is contained in the lesson plan for
intermediate grades.
• Basic information about what the Church teaches about death and eternal life is in the
lesson plan for adolescents.
• Each grade level plan includes some information about chapters in catechetical texts that
may be helpful to flesh out a lesson or an understanding.
• The pictures included in the packet can be used as part of a lesson plan, as appropriate.
• The prayer service included in the lesson plan for adolescents can be adapted for any
grade level or be used for the entire community of children.
• There is a worksheet for primary grades and two different worksheets for intermediate
grades. Please use the materials that best suit your students’ needs.
• The lesson plans include prayers for the repose of the soul of the Holy Father and also
prayers for the success of a Conclave. They are printed on individual sheets suitable for
copying and distributing to the children. Both prayers are also available in Spanish.
• The material entitled Background: Death of a Pope will provide teachers and catechists
more information. There is also a biographical piece about Pope John Paul II for your
information.
• There is a wealth of material available on the web. Web sites are included in the packet.
• Be sure to check the website of your catechetical text. Many of them will provide
materials to help you create lessons for this time.
Page 2L
ESSON
P
LANS
T
HE
D
EATH OF
A P
OPE
AND THE
C
HURCH ELECTS A NEW
P
ONTIFF
F
OR
P
RIMARY
G
RADES
(K-2)
C
ATECHETICAL
O
BJECTIVE
: T
O
A
CQUAINT CHILDREN WITH WHO THE
P
OPE IS
, W
HAT HAPPENS WHEN
A
P
OPE DIES
,
AND
W
HAT HAPPENS NEXT
.
K
EY
C
ONCEPTS
:
• We belong to the Roman Catholic Church and the head of our church is the Pope. The Pope is
the head of the Church of the whole world. As head of our Church he has many important jobs.
He prays for the world and for the Church
He teaches about Jesus
He stands up for people who are poor
He works for peace.
He appoints Bishops and Cardinals
• Pope John Paul II—some facts
His birth name was Karl Wojtyla. He was born in May 18, 1920 in Poland.
He became pope in 1978 – when many of their parents were young children themselves!
When he became Pope he took the name Pope John Paul II.
His funeral will/did take place in Rome, Italy.
He lived a long and wonderful life.
• What does the Pope do?
He is the leader of the Church on earth.
The pope leads all the bishops in the work of teaching, praying and celebrating
the sacraments for all the Catholics of the world.
We call him both the Holy Father and the “Shepherd of the Church”.
• The Pope’s job include
Teaching the faith
Helping the Church do good works in the world (like helping with tsunami relief)
Speaking out against people who cause wars, hatred, and evil in the world.
• The pope lived in the Vatican (show a picture)
St. Peter’s Basilica (the main church in the Vatican) is the biggest church in the world and is
the center of the Catholic Church.
• Pope John Paul liked to hike, ski, and climb mountains
• Pope John Paul did many brave things in his life, including speaking out against the bad countries
of the world that didn’t protect human rights or take care of the hungry, sick or dying. He even
forgave a man who tried to kill him once. They prayed together and the man came to really
admire Pope John Paul.
• More than anything, Pope John Paul loved children and prayed everyday for their safety and
health.
• The Pope has been ill for a very long time, and now he has died. He has gone home to God.
1
Page 3• Now, all the cardinals of the Church (cardinals are bishops who have churches in important cities
like London, New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Paris) will get together in Rome, Italy to
talk and pray and elect a new pope. This meeting is called a conclave.
We will know that they’ve elected a new pope when out of a special chimney at the
Vatican a plume of white smoke rises.
The new pope will become the Bishop of Rome and the shepherd of the Church.
Process:
When the children gather, ask them if they have heard about the death of the Pope.
Do they know who the Pope is?
Where he lives?
What he does?
Introduce these words in your conversation:
Holy Father
Vatican
Pray
Teach
Peace
Together, write a story of Pope John Paul’s life and death.
How does the Pope’s life make you feel?
How does his death make you feel?
Pray together.
Begin with the sign of the cross.
Use the following prayer as an opening.
Prayer for the Soul of John Paul II
Lord of Life and Death,
We pray for the soul of our beloved Pope, John Paul II.
Your breath gave him life
Your presence sustained his life
And your hand holds him now at the end of life.
Thank you for the gift of life that Pope John Paul was
to our Church and the entire world.
Embracing young and old alike,
he brought the Good News of Jesus
to countless countries and cultures.
As he lies in eternal peace in your arms,
Help us to mourn his death
And celebrate his life
Now and Forever
Amen
Invite the boys and girls to mention the things about Pope John Paul II for which they are
grateful.
2
Page 4We thank God for the gift Pope John Paul II has been to our church. Together we pray the Our
Father in thanksgiving for all God’s gifts to us.
At the next session, when the Conclave is in session or before it is about to begin, pray this prayer.
Lord God,
You take care of and guide your people every day.
Please, Lord,
bring us a new leader who will always love you and follow your ways.
Bring us a leader who will care for all your children, especially the weakest and poorest.
Bring us a new pope who will be gentle, loving, and compassionate to all.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
(based on the Opening Prayer from the “Mass for the election of a pope” from the Sacramentary.)
Potential Textbook Resources:
Christ Jesus the Way, Benziger.
Grade 1
Ch. 15, “Leaders”
Walking By Faith, Harcourt Religion.
Unit 4 deals with “The Church” at each grade level.
K
Ch. 14, “Our Church Family”
Grade 2
Ch. 13, “The Church is Community;” Ch. 14, “Doing the Work of
Jesus”
Blest Are We, Silver Burdett-Ginn.
Grade 1
Ch. 1, “Our Church Community;” Ch. 17, “Jesus’ Followers become
the Church”
Grade 2
Ch. 2, “We Belong to the Church;” Ch. 3, “Our Church shows us
how to live.”
We Believe, Wm. H. Sadlier.
K
Ch. 22, “We Belong to the Church;”
Grade 1
Ch. 11, “The Holy Spirit helps the Church to grow;” Ch. 12, “The
Church serves.”
Faith First, RCL
K
Ch. 9, “My Church Family;” Ch.15, “We Belong to the Catholic
Church.”
Grade 1
Ch. 8, “Jesus Gives us the Church;” Ch. 9, “The First Christians
Follow Jesus.”
Grade 2
Ch. 10, “The People of God.”
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Page 5The Pope and the Catholic Church
Use the code to find out some things about the Pope and the Catholic
Church.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
N
0
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
We call the Pope the
______
______
8 15 12 25
6
1 20 8
5
18
The Pope lives at the
______
22 1
20 9
3
1 14
The Pope spends his time
______and
16 18 1 25
9 14 7
______.
20 5
1
3
8
9
14 7
The Pope works and prays for
______.
16 5
1
3 5
4
Page 6F
OR
I
NTERMEDIATE
G
RADES
(3-5)
Catechetical objective: T
O EXPLAIN THE
P
OPE
’
S ROLE IN THE
R
OMAN
C
ATHOLIC
C
HURCH
,
AND TO
UNDERSTAND HOW A
P
OPE IS SELECTED
.
Key concepts
• We belong to the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope is the head of the Church on earth.
• The Pope is the successor of the Apostles. There is a direct line from St. Peter, the first Pope,
who was appointed by Jesus (Mt. 16:13-19) to today’s Pope.
• Jesus gave Peter the power to speak for him as head of the Church and to carry on the work
of the Apostles: preaching, teaching, baptizing in Jesus name, doing good.
• Guided by the Holy Spirit, every Pope since Peter has had the responsibility to teach and lead
the Church in Jesus’ name.
• The Pope is not only head of the whole Roman Catholic Church, he is also the Bishop of
Rome.
• The Pope appoints Bishops and Cardinals who help him govern the Church through their
local (arch)/dioceses. Bishops ordain priests who serve as pastors of parishes. Deacons assist
priests and bishops in a particular way.
• When a Pope dies, Cardinals participate in a special meeting called a conclave where a new
Pope will be elected under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This conclave begins 10-14 days
after the funeral of the Pope.
Process
Information about Pope John Paul II is included in the materials for grades K-2 and in
attachments
.
Begin with the question: What do we know about Pope John Paul II?
Head of the Church, Polish, real name Karl Wojtyla, came to the US for World Youth
Day in 1993, came to Toronto in 2000, etc.
Pope John Paul was the 264
th
Pope. Who was the first Pope? What is the relationship of the
current Pope to the first Pope? Who is our Bishop? Our Pastor? How are they related to the Pope?
What is the role of the Pope? How does he teach? How does he care for the poor? How does he
preach?
Activity
3
rd
graders:
Draw a picture of Jesus teaching. Draw a picture of the Pope teaching today.
4
th
graders:
Write a news story about the Pope. Work in groups of two or three.
5
th
graders:
Write an obituary for the Pope.
5
Page 7Question: Has someone you love died? Has a favorite pet died? How did you feel? What did you do?
Dealing with Death:
Because the death of the Pope is news, and because you are talking about it, some children may
have questions about death. Keep these things in mind while you listen to their concerns.
• Put death in the context of the natural order of things: things live and they die.
• Don’t use euphemisms to talk about death: passing away, was lost, went away on a long
journey, going to sleep. Don’t speak about “God wanting him”. Death is a natural part of
life, and it our opportunity to be happy with God in heaven—the purpose for which we
were made.
• Do speak about being happy with God in heaven; God loving us now and always, that
prayer is a way to remember people who have died.
ALL: Pray this prayer together:
Prayer for the Soul of John Paul II
Lord of Life and Death,
We pray for the soul of our beloved Pope, John Paul II.
Your breath gave him life
Your presence sustained his life
And your hand holds him now at the end of life.
Thank you for the gift of life that Pope John Paul was
to our Church and the entire world.
Embracing young and old alike,
he brought the Good News of Jesus
to countless countries and cultures.
As he lies in eternal peace in your arms,
Help us to mourn his death
And celebrate his life
Now and Forever
AMEN.
What comes next?
When the Pope dies, who heads the Church until a new Pope is selected? How is a new Pope
chosen?
Explain the following words/terms:
College of Cardinals Govern the Church until a new Pope is elected, choose the new
Pope.
Name the Cardinal of NYC: Edward Cardinal Egan
Conclave
The meeting of (eligible) Cardinals during which the next Pope
is selected. The conclave begins 15 days after the death of the
6
Page 8Pope, and it is held in Vatican City.
White Smoke
After each ballot, the individual ballots are burned. If a Pope has
not been elected, the smoke of the oven is black. If a Pope has
been elected, the smoke will be white.
Selecting a name
When a candidate accepts election as Pope, he will choose a new
name by which he will be known as Pope.
Activity: Fill out the attached sheet.
Pray this prayer together for the blessing of the Holy Spirit on the activity of the Conclave.
Prayer for the Guidance of the Holy Spirit
In the Selection of the Next Pope
Spirit of Wisdom,
We beseech you to be present to us now
as the Church prayerfully moves forward
to select our next pope.
Inspire the conclave with patience and insight.
Create in our spiritual leaders an openness and a vision
for what is needed to move the Church forward in faith.
We ask this prayer as brothers and sisters who are one
in Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord.
AMEN
7
Page 9The Papacy
Fill in the blanks from this word list.
Karol Wojtyla
Apostles
College of Cardinals
Poland
Conclave
New Name
Vatican
White Smoke
Bishop Clark
Pope
Rome
Holy Spirit
Preach, teach, pray
1. The head of our Diocese of Rochester is ______.
2. The ______is the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the world.
3. The Pope also serves as the Bishop of ______.
4. The birth name of our 264
th
Pope was ______. He was from ______.
5. All Popes live at the ______.
6. The Pope is the successor of the ______.
7. The role of the Pope is to ______,______and ______.
8. The ______selects the new Pope at a meeting called a ______.
9. This meeting is guided by the ______.
10. When a new Pope is selected, he chooses a ______
______.
11. We learn that a new Pope has been selected when we see ______in St. Peter’s
Square.
8
Page 10Word Scramble
The Holy Father
Unscramble these words to write a message.
PPOE
PATSOLES
SCHTAE
DEAH
SRPCHEA
CCHRUH
RMOE
PCEAE
The ______, who is the Bishop of ______, is the ______of the Roman Catholic
Church.
He is the successor of the ______and speaks for the ______.
He ______and ______the Gospel of Jesus.
The Pope prays for ______in the world.
9
Page 11Textbook references for Intermediate Grades
These references might deal directly with the pope or explain something about his ministry/role in the
Church today. Use them as appropriate.
Christ Jesus the Way, Benziger
Grade 3
Ch. 14, “Marks of the Church;” Ch. 15, “A MissionaryChurch.”
Grade 4
Ch. 14, “The Church Teaches;” Ch. 15, “The Church Serves.”
Grade 5
Ch. 10, “Your Catholic Heritage;” Ch. 11, “Unity;” Ch. 18, “Called
to Serve;”
Walking by Faith, Harcourt Religion
Grade 3
Ch. 13, “The Church Works Together;” Ch. 14, “One & Holy;” Ch.
15, “Catholic & Apostolic.”
Grade 4
Ch. 13, “Mother & Teacher.”
Grade 5
Ch. 13, “A Sign to the World;” Ch. 15, “Answering God’s Call.”
Blest Are We, Silver Burdett-Ginn
Grade 3
Ch. 1, “The Holy Spirit guides us to become Church;” Ch.13, “The
Church continues the Mission of the Apostles;” Ch. 18, “We are
called to Serve;” Ch. 19, “The Church is a Witness for Justice &
Peace;” Ch. 20, “We Pray for World Peace.”
Grade 5
Ch. 18, “Holy Orders & Matrimony.”
We Believe, Wm. H. Sadlier, Inc.
Grade 3
Ch. 4, “The Church Begins;” Ch. 5, “We Learn about the Early
Church;” Ch. 8, “Marks of the Church;” Ch. 9 & 10, “The Church
Teaches & Prays;” Ch. 24, “The Church is Worldwide.”
Grade 4
Ch. 25, “We are the Church;” Ch. 26, “We are called to
Discipleship.”
Grade 5
Ch. 25, “Holy Orders;” “Ch. 26, “One, Holy, catholic, and
Apostolic.”
Faith First, RCL
Grade 3
Ch. 8, “We are the Church.”
Grade 4
Ch. 8, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” Ch. 10, “The People of God;” Ch.
16, “Signs of God’s Love.”
Grade 5
Ch. 10, “Thy Kingdom Come!”
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Page 12Adolescents
The Death of the Pope
The Selection of a New Pontiff
Catechetical Objective: T
O ACQUAINT TEENS WITH SOME OF THE TEACHINGS OF
P
OPE
J
OHN
P
AUL
II;
TO
REENFORCE THE
C
HURCH
’
S TEACHING ABOUT DEATH AND ETERNAL LIFE
.
Key Concepts
The Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church
When a Pope dies, the College of Cardinals selects a new Pope
It is important to celebrate an individual’s life at the time of death
The Church’s view of death
• Catholics have a sure hope of Resurrection
• “Lord, for your faithful people, life is changed, not ended.” (funeral liturgy)
• God does not choose heaven (eternal life) or hell (eternal damnation) for any one
of us. We choose it for ourselves by the way we live our lives. We have free will.
• At our death, there is a time of “particular judgment” by Christ when we are
rewarded or condemned according to our lives.
• Purgatory exists as a place of purification for those who have chosen life in Jesus
but need to be further purified before entering into eternal life with God.
• We pray for those who have died to assist them through Purgatory.
• The Church teaches that hell exists, but the Church also teaches that we cannot
know with certainty whether or not anyone has actually been condemned to hell.
• Our God is a merciful God. Jesus continually reached out to sinners with
compassion and forgiveness and forgiveness is available to all who repent.
(Prodigal Son, Lost Sheep parables)
Process
Begin with the question: What do you know about Pope John Paul II? Use various headlines