Pope John Paul II fever grips Rome ahead of beatification rites

Pope John Paul II fever hits Rome

Pope John Paul II is set to be beatified by the Roman Catholic Church on May 1 at the Vatican and early signs in Rome show that the late pope's charisma stays strong years after his death from complications of Parkinson's disease.

Rome is bracing for a huge influx of pilgrims and tourists that will attend the beatification rites of Pope John Paul II, whose image can be seen in buses, billboard and memorabilia.

Among the items are T-shirts with "Be Not Afraid" phrases attributed to the late pope, life-size statues and several books about his life and papacy. Merchants, business owners and hotels are hoping to make a good profit out of the event.

Beatification is one step short of sainthood - a process already fast-tracked by Pope Benedict XVI for the beloved Pope John Paul II. The Catholic Church has attributed a miracle to the intercession of the late pope. Another miracle is needed before he can be declared a saint.

Numerous scams have emerged to take advantage of the event, including fake tickets sold online. Church officials and Italian authorities have warned of such unscrupulous activities and reiterated that the beatification ceremony is free for the public.

Fake watches and other items bearing the image of Pope John Paul II have been confiscated by Italian police. Some hotels have also been shut down for exorbitant prices and misleading services.

The Vatican has expressed some concern that crass materialism and business interests have taken over the solemnity of the event.

But observers say that the Catholic Church has been largely tolerant of such activities because the message of the church and Pope John Paul II is promoted.

Posted by Sophia Andrews on Sunday April 24 2011, 12:14 AM EST. Ref: Inquirer. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0