Pope John Paul II to be beatified, rites open to public
Pope John Paul II to be beatified, rites open to public
Pope John Paul II is set to be beatified on May 1 and the Vatican is now making all the preparations for the ceremony. The Holy See said the coffin of the late pope will be exhumed from the crypts below St. Peter's Basilica and that pilgrims and faithful will be able to pray before the coffin at the beatification ceremony.
The Vatican said Catholics should be wary against unscrupulous people selling tickets, including online, for the event. It also warned against taking tour packages with tickets.
"For the beatification mass of Pope John Paul II, as made clear from the outset, no tickets are required," the Vatican said.
Pope John Paul II was one of the most influential religious and political leaders of his time. He was instrumental in the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe including his native Poland. He died in 2005 after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease and other ailments.
Already declared "Venerable" by his successor Pope Benedict XVI, John Paul will be declared "Blessed" during the beatification ceremony, moving him one step closer to being declared a saint according to the rules and tradition of the Catholic Church.
Millions of people including heads of state attended John Paul's funeral in 2005. In May, Vatican officials estimate a million people to attend the beatification ceremony.
Activities surrounding the ceremony will take three days to complete. A prayer vigil will be held on the night before the ceremony and a thanksgiving mass after the beatification day. On the day itself, the beatification mass will be held in St. Peter's Square, after which the coffin will be brought inside the basilica where faithful will be allowed to view the closed coffin of Pope John Paul II.
Posted by
Sophia Andrews
on Saturday February 19 2011, 3:39 AM EST.
Ref: Yahoo.
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