Vial of late pope's blood to be kept in Polish church after his beatification
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A vial containing blood drawn from Pope John Paul II shortly before he died will be installed as a relic in a Polish church after his beatification later this year. The vial will be encased in crystal and built into the altar of a church in the southern city of Krakow that is opening in May, said Piotr Sionko, the spokesman for the John Paul II Centre.
The exact date of the opening is not yet known, but it should be shortly after John Paul's beatification at the Vatican on 1 May. Mr Sionko said the idea came from Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Archbishop of Krakow and the longtime friend and secretary of the late Polish-born pontiff. The blood was drawn for medical tests at Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic shortly before John Paul's death on 2 April 2005, and is now in Cardinal Dziwisz's possession.
The church in the Lagiewniki district is part of a centre that will be devoted to cultivating the memory and teaching of the late pope, who was born Karol Wojtyla in Wadowice, southern Poland, and spent decades in Krakow.
Many Catholics in the world are rejoicing over Pope Benedict XVI's announcement last week that he will beatify John Paul. Beatification is the last major step before possible sainthood. The idea of displaying the pope's relics has met with some reservations, even inside the Catholic Church.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments