The pilgrims who attend this Sunday for the beatification of John Paul Iino can see the remains embalmed, contrary to what is usual in these cases, as the coffin is closed. But the Vatican itself has decided to offer the faithful the chance to venerate the blood of the beloved Polish Pope. The Holy See, meticulous, declined to give precise details of "the relic to be exposed for veneration." It will be a "small bottle of blood, inserted in a precious reliquary." The art piece was created by sculptor Carlo Balljana, commissioned by the Office of Papal Liturgical Celebrations.
During the final days of John Paul II, already seriously ill, the medical staff attending him proceeded to draw blood several times and sent to nearby hospital Child Jesus in the event that the Pope should realizársele transfusion. Karol Wojtyla, however, did not require transfusions before dying, so his blood was placed in four small containers.
Two of these bottles is the was his private secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz today, the two others in hospital permanecerion Child Jesus, "devoutly guarded by nuns from the center. Approaching the beatification, it was decided to place these containers in the blood papal two shrines.
The first will be offered to the veneration at the ceremony on Sunday and then stored, along with other important relics in the tabernacle of the Office of Papal Liturgical Celebrations. The second relic is returned to the nuns at the hospital. The Vatican took pains to clarify that "blood is liquid, a fact explained by the presence of an anticoagulant substance was present at the time of extraction." Interest in explaining why the liquid state, after all these years, may be due to fear that the Italian faithful, especially the Neapolitans, assemble scenes similar to those that occur with the blood of San Gennaro, patron of the city , which regularly goes from solid to liquid.
Public exposure of the blood of Karol Wojtyla is an aspect of popular religiosity inherent beatification and canonization. Some may seem unnecessary and even folklore superstition. There are theologians, as pointed out Piero Coda yesterday told Il Giornale, who accept with reservations the Vatican's decision on the blood because it can distract the public's fundamental message about what it meant John Paul II.
"There may be many choreographic elements to steal attention from the real meaning of this event," Coda said. The truth is that acts of beatification, which will last three days, will offer for the different sensibilities of pilgrims attracted by the Polish pope. 
During the final days of John Paul II, already seriously ill, the medical staff attending him proceeded to draw blood several times and sent to nearby hospital Child Jesus in the event that the Pope should realizársele transfusion. Karol Wojtyla, however, did not require transfusions before dying, so his blood was placed in four small containers.
Two of these bottles is the was his private secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz today, the two others in hospital permanecerion Child Jesus, "devoutly guarded by nuns from the center. Approaching the beatification, it was decided to place these containers in the blood papal two shrines.
The first will be offered to the veneration at the ceremony on Sunday and then stored, along with other important relics in the tabernacle of the Office of Papal Liturgical Celebrations. The second relic is returned to the nuns at the hospital. The Vatican took pains to clarify that "blood is liquid, a fact explained by the presence of an anticoagulant substance was present at the time of extraction." Interest in explaining why the liquid state, after all these years, may be due to fear that the Italian faithful, especially the Neapolitans, assemble scenes similar to those that occur with the blood of San Gennaro, patron of the city , which regularly goes from solid to liquid.
Public exposure of the blood of Karol Wojtyla is an aspect of popular religiosity inherent beatification and canonization. Some may seem unnecessary and even folklore superstition. There are theologians, as pointed out Piero Coda yesterday told Il Giornale, who accept with reservations the Vatican's decision on the blood because it can distract the public's fundamental message about what it meant John Paul II.
"There may be many choreographic elements to steal attention from the real meaning of this event," Coda said. The truth is that acts of beatification, which will last three days, will offer for the different sensibilities of pilgrims attracted by the Polish pope.
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