+ BLESS US, FATHER.

Many of you noted that the body of Pope John Paul the Great is vested in red. It has nothing to do with his national color of Poland. Rather, this is another call back to ancient tradition (and the correction of Vatican Council II liturgical abuses, "aggiornamento", which his Papacy has also been devoted to) wherein the Papal liturgy, now practically discontinued, that, instead of black, the Pope celebrated funeral liturgies wearing red vestments -- "Papa luget in rubro," (the Pope weeps in red). So although the Pope generally now uses violet vestments for requiems, a vestige of the earlier practice remains in vesting our deceased Holy Father in red, which is the color of the Apostles.