Ghouls Walk The Earth
Pope John Paul II is returning to Krakow. Well, at least part of him is.
A vial of blood taken from Pope John Paul II shortly before he died will be installed in the altar of a church in Krakow, Poland, later this year. It’s a holy relic, you see. John Paul II will be beatified by the Vatican on May 1.
The blood was originally drawn for medical test in the Gemelli Polyclinic while John Paul was on his deathbed. It somehow found its way into the hands of the Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Archbishop of Krakow and the late pope’s onetime secretary.
The spokesman for the John Paul II Centre, Piotr Sionko, said that the idea to encase the vial of blood in crystal and insert it into the altar was the Cardinal’s. ''He is of the opinion that this is the most precious relic of John Paul II and should be the focal point of the church.''
Some people like to collect relics - gotta get the whole set! Catholic apologists say that they are not magical or powerful, relics are merely reminders of an inspiring but departed loved one. The faithful know better.
This is a much older magic than Christianity. Possession of a piece of a great warrior imparted strength to the holder. A body part of a saint is a mighty talisman against evil. Possessing a piece of a holy man imbues the one who holds it with holiness.
After his almost certain canonization, the Church will exhume his corpse and remove part for use as relics. The Associated Press wrote that some Polish officials had expressed a hope that John Paul’s heart would be removed from his body and returned to his native land. For now, they’ll have to settle for what in any other context would be considered hazardous medical waste.
A vial of blood taken from Pope John Paul II shortly before he died will be installed in the altar of a church in Krakow, Poland, later this year. It’s a holy relic, you see. John Paul II will be beatified by the Vatican on May 1.
The blood was originally drawn for medical test in the Gemelli Polyclinic while John Paul was on his deathbed. It somehow found its way into the hands of the Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Archbishop of Krakow and the late pope’s onetime secretary.
The spokesman for the John Paul II Centre, Piotr Sionko, said that the idea to encase the vial of blood in crystal and insert it into the altar was the Cardinal’s. ''He is of the opinion that this is the most precious relic of John Paul II and should be the focal point of the church.''
Some people like to collect relics - gotta get the whole set! Catholic apologists say that they are not magical or powerful, relics are merely reminders of an inspiring but departed loved one. The faithful know better.
This is a much older magic than Christianity. Possession of a piece of a great warrior imparted strength to the holder. A body part of a saint is a mighty talisman against evil. Possessing a piece of a holy man imbues the one who holds it with holiness.
After his almost certain canonization, the Church will exhume his corpse and remove part for use as relics. The Associated Press wrote that some Polish officials had expressed a hope that John Paul’s heart would be removed from his body and returned to his native land. For now, they’ll have to settle for what in any other context would be considered hazardous medical waste.