First Images of John Paul II’s New Tomb

John Paul II’s coffin is now in its final resting place in St Sebastian’s Chapel, inside St Peter’s Basilica.

Highlights from the Beatification of Pope John Paul II

Missed the beatification ceremony of Pope John Paul II? Revisit the highlights at CNN.

The Huffington Post also has the news:

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI beatified Pope John Paul II before 1.5 million faithful in St. Peter’s Square and surrounding streets Sunday, moving the beloved former pontiff one step closer to possible sainthood.

The crowd in Rome and in capitals around the world erupted in cheers, tears and applause as an enormous photo of a young, smiling John Paul was unveiled over the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica and a choir launched into hymn long associated with the Polish-born pope.

“He restored to Christianity its true face as a religion of hope,” Benedict said in his homily, referring to John Paul’s decisive role in helping bring down communism. Benedict dotted his remarks with personal recollections of a man he came to “revere” during their near-quarter century working together.

Beatification is the first major milestone on the path to possible sainthood, one of the Catholic Church’s highest honors. A second miracle attributed to John Paul’s intercession is needed for him to be canonized…

More here.

And Rome Reports:

So what happens next?

John Paul II Beatification: Live Blog

Not me

It’s here if you want to follow…

A Guide to the Beatification Events in Rome

Pope John Paul II: Fearless in Hope and Love

Fr Z in the Washington Post:

In some cities in the USA when a local team wins a basketball game, crowds burn cars. But when John Paul II’s body was lying on view in St. Peter’s Basilica, one first responder, police officer and volunteer worker after the next told me that there had not been a single act of civil disobedience or problem reported. That means something. During the days which preceded his funeral, armed with media credentials I was able to move freely through the checkpoints and channels for the millions, literally, of people who stood in slow moving lines for scores of hours to see the dead Pope’s body for the last time. Peacefulness, prayer and patience reigned.

At the end of the funeral, the wind blew closed the cover of Book of the Gospels. Men lifted John Paul’s onto their shoulders. They stopped before the open doors of the Basilica and slowly pin-wheeled, as if to give him one last public wave. A shout went up, simultaneous because of the huge video screens along the nearby streets. That shout, which echoed across a silent and motionless Rome, may have been the single loudest purely human sound ever raised on high in that City of over 3000 years.

There began the rising chant of the people, “Santo Subito… Sainthood Soon”. It may have been a manifestation of the old adage Vox Populi Vox Dei… The Voice of the People is the Voice of God. I don’t know that, but it was unlike any chant I had ever heard before. Of course when in Rome you hear the word “subito,” especially from a waiter, you almost never expect what you’ve requested to happen quickly. And yet here we are at his beatification…

Read on here.

Vial of Pope John Paul II’s Blood to be Venerated at Beatification

The Catholic Herald:

A small vial of Pope John Paul II’s blood is to be the relic for the Mass for his beatification, the Vatican has said.

The relic will be presented to Pope Benedict XVI and exposed for veneration during the Mass in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, the Vatican said today. After the Mass, it will be kept with other modern relics in the Apostolic Palace.

The Vatican explained that four vials of blood were drawn from Pope John Paul during the final stage of his illness by his personal physician. The vials were sent to the Vatican-owned Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome in case the ailing pope needed a transfusion, it said.

No transfusion was ever needed, and after the death of Pope John Paul on April 2, 2005, two of the vials went to the pope’s personal secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland, and the other two remained in the custody of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul at the hospital, the Vatican said.

One of the vials of blood from the hospital will be presented for veneration at the beatification Mass and be placed in a “precious reliquary specially made” for the occasion, it said.

The second vial will remain at the hospital.

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.

And a video on this news via Rome Reports TV:

The Life of Pope John Paul II

In pictures:

The Telegraph (UK) has the rest here:

Beatification of John Paul II Program for 01 May 2011

For those going to Rome for the event:

The world waits and prays for the beatification of the Venerable Pope John Paul II

Catholic Online reports:

It is hard to believe it has been six years since the soon to be Blessed John Paul II went home to the Father’s house and Pope Benedict XVI told the Pilgrims gathered in Rome “With you, I pray for the gift of beatification” during the General Audience in Saint Peter’s Square. That prayer will soon be answered.

VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) – It is hard to believe it has been six years since the one whom I call with deep affection, “My Champion”, the soon to be Blessed John Paul II, went home to the Father’s house. I still feel the pain of loss as do millions around the world. Right before he died, Pope John Paul said, “I am happy. You should be, too. Let us pray together with joy.” As I grow older it has become so clear that he is the man who has most influenced my life, shaped my thought and led me to my own vocational response to the Lord.

It is also hard to believe as well that it was two years ago that his beloved successor, the Servant of the Servants of God, Pope Benedict XVI, told the Pilgrims gathered in Rome “With you, I pray for the gift of beatification,” during the General Audience in Saint Peter’s Square. Now, that prayer will soon be answered. Tuesday, the Holy See released the full schedule for the great event. We present the full schedule:

From the Vatican Information Service

1. The Vigil, 30 April, 2011 (Circus Maximus)

The celebration will be divided into two parts. The first part will be dedicated to remembering the words and actions of John Paul II. There shall then be a solemn procession during which the image of Maria Salus Populi Romani will be enthroned; this shall be accompanied by representatives of all the parishes and chaplaincies of the diocese. Privileged accounts will be given by Joaquin Navarro-Valls and Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, both of whom worked closely with the Pope, and by Sr. Marie Simon-Pierre, whose miraculous recovery opened the way for the beatification process. This first part of the celebrations will be concluded with the hymn “Totus tuus,” composed for the 50th anniversary of John Paul’s priestly ordination.

The second part will focus on the celebration of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, which were introduced by John Paul II. After the hymn “Open the doors to Christ”, Cardinal Vallini will give an introduction summarizing the spiritual and pastoral character of John Paul II. The Rosary will then be recited, with a live connection to five Marian sanctuaries around the world. Each of the five Mysteries of the Rosary shall be linked to a prayer intention of importance to John Paul II. In the Sanctuary of Lagniewniki, Krakow, the prayer intention will take the theme of youth; in the Sanctuary of Kawekamo, Bugando, Tanzania, the family; in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lebanon, Harissa, evangelisation; in the Basilica of Sancta Maria de Guadalupe, Mexico City, hope and peace among peoples; and in the Sanctuary of Fatima, the Church.

To conclude the vigil, Benedict XVI shall recite the final oration and impart the apostolic blessing to all participants, in live transmission from the Apostolic Palace.

That night the following churches shall remain open for the oration: Sant’ Agnese in Agone, Piazza Navona; San Marco al Campidoglio; Santa Anastasia; Santissimo Nome di Gesù all’Argentina; Santa Maria in Vallicella; San Giovanni dei Fiorentini; San Andrea della Valle; and San Bartolomeo all’Isola.

2.The Mass of Beatification, May 1, 2011, Sunday after Easter or of Divine Mercy (St. Peter’s Square, officiated by the Holy Father).

The solemn liturgy of beatification shall be preceded by an hour of preparation during which the faithful shall pray together the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, a devotion introduced by Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska and dear to the Blessed John Paul II. The preparation will conclude with an Invocation to Mercy in the world, with the hymn “Jezu ufam tobie.” This will be followed by Mass, with the texts for the Sunday after Easter. At the end of the rite of beatification, the unveiling of the tapestry depicting the newly Blessed shall be accompanied by the Hymn to the Blessed in Latin.

3. Mass of thanksgiving, Monday May 2, 2011 (officiated by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, St. Peter’s Square)

Mass on Monday 2 May shall be the first celebrated in honour of the newly Blessed John Paul II. The texts shall be those of the Mass of the Blessed John Paul II. Music during the celebrations shall be provided by the Choir of the Diocese of Rome, with the participation of the Choir of Warsaw and the Wadowice Symphony Orchestra, Poland.

Fr. Lombardi explained that in the evening of Friday 29 April the tomb of the Blessed Pope Innocent XI – currently in the Chapel of St. Sebastian in St. Peter’s Basilica – shall be transferred to the Altar of Transfiguration, to make way for the body of John Paul II. That morning, the coffin of John Paul II – which shall not be opened – will be transferred before the tomb of St. Peter, in the Vatican grotto. On the morning of 1 May, it will be brought before the Altar of Confession in the Basilica.

Following the beatification ceremony, the Pope and the concelebrating cardinals will make their way to the Altar of Confession in the Basilica and will pray for a moment before the body of the newly Blessed. From that evening, those who wish to do so may venerate the remains of John Paul II.

Fr. Walter Insero shall present the new project, “Digital Sentinels,” recalling the polish Pope’s address to the young as “sentinels of the morning” on World Youth Day 2000 in Rome.

Through the already well-known portal “Pope2You,” provided by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, it will be possible to send digital postcards with phrases, in several languages, extracted from John Paul II’s various addresses to young people. These postcards may be used as invitations to young people to come to Rome to celebrate the beatification of John Paul II. Furthermore, through this portal it will be possible to follow the scheduled celebrations (Vigil, beatification Mass, Mass of thanksgiving).

This initiative, carried out in collaboration with Vatican Radio, the Vatican Television Center and the Office for Social Communications of the Vicariate of Rome, is managed by a group of young volunteers, several seminarians from colleges in Rome who provide translations in various languages, and friends from other continents.

Pope Is Joyous About Beatifying John Paul II

Associated Press reports:

Vatican City (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that everyone who knew or admired John Paul II shares his joy that he will beatify his predecessor on May 1 — a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square that could bring 2 million people into Rome.

Beatification is the last major step before a Catholic can be considered for possible sainthood.

The ceremony, a week after Easter, is expected to draw huge crowds, according to Rome authorities rushing to ready the capital for the event. John Paul’s funeral in 2005 saw nearly 3 million faithful flock to the Vatican.

“On May 1, I’ll have the joy of proclaiming blessed the venerable John Paul II, my beloved predecessor,” Benedict said, speaking from his studio window overlooking the square, where tourists and pilgrims gathered to receive his traditional Sunday blessing.

“All those who knew him, all those who esteemed and admired him, cannot help but rejoice with the church for this event,” the pontiff said.

Many pilgrims will come from John Paul’s homeland of Poland. Benedict told the faithful that Poles especially had been awaiting Friday’s announcement about the beatification because John Paul had been “their guide in faith, in truth and in freedom.”…

Pope John Paul II has been named the patron for World Youth Day 2011. He was the creator of World Youth Days.

Pope John Paul II: Beatification on 1 May 2011

The Decree can be read in full here.

CNN reports on the date:

The late Pope John Paul II is one miracle away from sainthood.

CNN’s Senior Vatican Correspondent John Allen reports that a beatification ceremony for the late Pope will take place on May 1. This morning, Pope Benedict XVI credited his predecessor with performing a miracle which is the final requirement for beatification. Sainthood, however, would require that he be credited with performing two miracles…

The Wall Streert Journal:

Vatican City, Rome—The Pope on Friday approved a miracle attributed to his predecessor Pope John Paul II’s intercession and set May 1 as the date for his beatification.

The event will be a major morale boost for a church reeling from a wave of violence against Christians and fallout from the clerical sexual abuse scandal.

Pope Benedict XVI declared in a decree that a French nun’s recovery from Parkinson’s disease was miraculous, the last step needed for the late pontiff’s beatification.

The May 1 ceremony, to be celebrated by Pope Benedict himself, is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Rome to honor one of the most popular popes of all time.

A second miracle is needed for Pope John Paul to be made a saint. Pope Benedict put his predecessor on the fast track to possible sainthood just weeks after he died in 2005, responding to the chants of “Santo Subito!” or “Sainthood immediately!” that erupted during his funeral.

The Pope waived the typical five-year waiting period before the process could begin, but he insisted that the investigation into Pope John Paul’s life be thorough so as to not leave any doubts about his virtues…

And a video from Rome Reports: