VATICAN CITY—Late pope John Paul II will be declared "blessed" -- one step from sainthood in the Catholic Church -- at a solemn mass in St Peter'sbasilica on Sunday that will celebrate his extraordinary life.
Here are some of the key dates and times for the beatification:
Friday: Pope John Paul II's coffin is exhumed from its resting place in a crypt under Saint Peter's basilica, signalling the start of the beatification proceedings as thousands of pilgrims crowd into central Rome.
Saturday: French nun Marie Simon-Pierre, whose unexplained healing was the miracle that qualified John Paul for beatification, is set to speak at a prayer vigil starting at 1800 GMT in the ancient Circus Maximus arena in front of more than 100,000 people.
Sunday: Pope Benedict XVI will declare his predecessor John Paul II "blessed" at a ritual-filled beatification mass in Saint Peter's basilica that puts the former pontiff one step away from full sainthood in the Catholic Church.
0330 GMT: Vatican authorities will begin to allow access to Saint Peter's Square for the ceremony. A total of around 500,000 people are expected.
0700 GMT: One of John Paul's favourite prayers in honor of the Virgin Mary is recited and sung in different languages in Saint Peter's Square.
0800 GMT: The official ceremony, which the Vatican has said will be "very simple", begins in Saint Peter's with 87 international delegations present.
Shortly after the start of the mass, Benedict XVI will pronounce a special prayer in which he will declare John Paul as one of the "blessed".
With these words, a giant image of the newly honored John Paul II will be unfurled over the facade of Saint Peter's basilica.
1030 GMT: Benedict will pay his respects in front of John Paul's coffin. Crowds of pilgrims are then expected to begin filing past the coffin and a relic -- a phial containing John Paul's blood -- will be exposed for veneration.
Monday: A mass of thanksgiving in Saint Peter's Square will be led by Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone. John Paul's coffin will then be laid to rest inside the basilica near Michelangelo's famous Pieta.
viainquirer.net
Here are some of the key dates and times for the beatification:
Friday: Pope John Paul II's coffin is exhumed from its resting place in a crypt under Saint Peter's basilica, signalling the start of the beatification proceedings as thousands of pilgrims crowd into central Rome.
Saturday: French nun Marie Simon-Pierre, whose unexplained healing was the miracle that qualified John Paul for beatification, is set to speak at a prayer vigil starting at 1800 GMT in the ancient Circus Maximus arena in front of more than 100,000 people.
Sunday: Pope Benedict XVI will declare his predecessor John Paul II "blessed" at a ritual-filled beatification mass in Saint Peter's basilica that puts the former pontiff one step away from full sainthood in the Catholic Church.
0330 GMT: Vatican authorities will begin to allow access to Saint Peter's Square for the ceremony. A total of around 500,000 people are expected.
0700 GMT: One of John Paul's favourite prayers in honor of the Virgin Mary is recited and sung in different languages in Saint Peter's Square.
0800 GMT: The official ceremony, which the Vatican has said will be "very simple", begins in Saint Peter's with 87 international delegations present.
Shortly after the start of the mass, Benedict XVI will pronounce a special prayer in which he will declare John Paul as one of the "blessed".
With these words, a giant image of the newly honored John Paul II will be unfurled over the facade of Saint Peter's basilica.
1030 GMT: Benedict will pay his respects in front of John Paul's coffin. Crowds of pilgrims are then expected to begin filing past the coffin and a relic -- a phial containing John Paul's blood -- will be exposed for veneration.
Monday: A mass of thanksgiving in Saint Peter's Square will be led by Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone. John Paul's coffin will then be laid to rest inside the basilica near Michelangelo's famous Pieta.
viainquirer.net
No comments:
Post a Comment