"Don't be afraid to open the door to Christ."
Blessed John Paul II - the true disciple of GOD and the most loved Papa especially by Filipino people.
He was just beatified by Pope Benedict XVI yesterday May 1, 2011 same date of the Feast of "Divine Mercy". I watch the whole event yesterday through TV channels - broadcasting live.
More than 1 million worshipers assembled and witnessed the event in St. Peter Square.
Photograph: Stefano Rellandini/ReutersHere are some of the Hi lights:
*Cardinal Agostino Vallini, papal vicar for Rome- read the biography of John Paul II and petitioned the pope “to inscribe the venerable servant of God, John Paul II, pope, among the number of blessed.”
*After reading the Formula of Beatification, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed John Paul as Blessed: “the venerable servant of God, John Paul II, pope, henceforth will be called blessed”
*The unveiling of the Tapestry of smiling Blessed John Paul II over the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica (the Image was taken 1995), the large crowd applauded.
*Pope Benedict said Blessed John Paul II was beatified because of his "Strong Faith".
*The presentation of the Precious relic,in a silver reliquary holding a vial of blood (taken from Blessed John Paul II 2 months before he died) by Sister Tobiana, the Polish nun who tended to John Paul throughout his pontificate,and a French nun, Sister Marie-Simon Pierre, who says she was miraculously cured from Parkinson’s disease after praying to the late pope.
*After the Beatification Mass, the Veneration follows inside the St. Peter's Basilica. Pope Benedict XVI prayed before John Paul's coffin, which had a copy of the Lorsch Gospels on it, an illuminated medieval book of the Gospels that is one of the most precious in the Vatican's collection.Pope Benedict XVI and the Cardinals payed their respects in front of John Paul's coffin, which was exhumed on Apr.28, 2011 (Friday) and placed inside Saint Peter's basilica.
*Lots of song sung during the beatification mass but I notice that there were 3 songs that are not sung during ordinary mass:
-The “Sequenza” - sung only once a year. The resurrection of Christ and the Testimony
ofAngels.
-Motto of BJP --Totvs Tvvs during the offertory procession.
-and after the final blessing, the Hymn for BJP with the theme: “Don’t be afraid to open
the door to Christ.”
While the Veneration inside the Basilica was going on, outside they played song that composed by a Filipina (Trina Belamide) for the World Youth Day here in the Phils last 1995. BJP II liked this song so much:
“Tell the world of His Love”.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeTO6L8KArw&feature=related
Note that the Chasuble, Miter and Chalice used by Pope Benedict XVI during the mass was Blessed John Pauls.
Blessed John Paul's Short Biography:
Birth name:Karol Josef Wojtyla
Born:May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland
Motto:"TOTVS TVVS" meaning " I'm all yours"
He's a devotee of "Divine Mercy"
Became priest @ the age of 26 (November 1,1946).
Became Bishop @ the age of 38, (September 28,1958)the youngest Bishop in Poland.
Became official Archbishop of Krakow in January 13,1964.
Became Cardinal June 26, 1967 and
Became Pope in October 16,1978 @ the age of 54 (inauguration Oct.22, 1978)
The youngest pope of 20th century.
He's the 264th Pope of the Catholic church.
The only Pope from Poland.
The first none Italian Pope since 1500's.
The most popular Papa,known by some as "The Pope for Youth".
John Paul II has been acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century.
He spoke 12 languages.
The most traveled Papa, he visited 129 countries during his Papacy,
The first pope visited the White House , October 1979.
The first pope to travel to the United Kingdom, on 1982,where he met Queen Elizabeth II.
The first pope made an official papal visit to synagogue, when he visited the Great Synagogue of
Rome on 13 April 1986.
He was the first modern pope to visit Egypt (Feb. 24–26, 2000).
The first pope to visit countries with Lutheran majorities June 1 - 10 , 1989 (to Norway, Iceland,
Finland, Denmark and Sweden)
He was the only Pope that entered and welcomed and prayed in Damascus Islamic Mosque in
Syria on May 6, 2001.
The first Pope in history known to receive a priestly blessing from a Rabbi in January 2005.
The 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) met with Pope John Paul II 8 times.
The first pope in history to visit and pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, March 2000.
He even left his prayer letter in the wall:
“God of our fathers,
You chose Abraham and his descendants
to bring your Name to the Nations:
we are deeply saddened
by the behaviour of those
who in the course of history
have caused these children of yours to suffer,
and asking your forgiveness
we wish to commit ourselves to
genuine brotherhood
with the people of the Covenant.”
Jerusalem 26, March 2000 - John Paul II
His been here in the Phils 3 times:
1st - 1973 - just a stop over when he was still a Cardinal.
2nd - 1981 - his first visit as Papa.
3rd - 1995 - the most attended World Day Youth (Jan. 15, 1995).
More than 5 million crowds attended and because of this
he was called the most seen person in Human History.
19 World Day Youth was celebrated during his Papacy.
1984 when he started the WYD in St. Peter's Square with the intention of
bringing young Catholics from all parts of the world together to celebrate the faith.
He Created 232 Cardinals.
He Beatified 1342 Blessed.
He Canonized 483 Saints.
His Papacy last 26 yrs. and 168 days, The 2nd longest documented pontificate,
of course the 1st in line was Pope Pius IX - 31yrs..
He's a poet too, he wrote 5 books since 1994 - 2005.
He died @ the age of 84yrs & 319days, Apr.2, 2005 in Apostolic Palace, Vatican City, (one day before the feast day of "Divine Mercy")in agony from an acute case of Parkinson's.
On 19 December 2009, John Paul II was proclaimed venerable by his successor Pope Benedict XVI.
October 22 was the declared feast day of Blessed John Paul, the anniversary of the inauguration of his pontificate in 1978.
By the way, there were four vials of blood were drawn from Pope John Paul.The vials were sent to the Vatican-owned Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome in case the ailing Pope needed a
transfusion. But no transfusion done and after the death of BJPII, two of the vials went to the Pope’s personal secretary and longtime friend, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland .
They presented one of the relic too during the mass they held in Poland same date of the beatification, and the other two vials remained in the custody of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul at the hospital,and one of the vial from the hospital was the one presented during the Beatification Rite and Mass.
The Vatican said the blood in all four vials has not solidified because an anti-coagulant had been
added at the time the blood was drawn.
