Special Vatican Exhibit Pope John Paul II

Tribute on Occasion of  Beatification

Pope John Paul II

“Dear Brothers and Sisters,
as you know, next 1 May
I shall have the joy of beatifying
my beloved Predecessor,
Venerable Pope John Paul II.
The date chosen is deeply meaningful:
it will in fact be the Second Sunday
of Easter, which he himself entitled
Divine Mercy Sunday, on the eve of which
his life on earth ended.
Those who knew him,
those who esteemed and loved him,
cannot but rejoice with the Church
in this event.We are glad!”
Benedict XVI – 16 January 2011

The coffin of Blessed John Paul II, which had been exposed for veneration in the front of St. Peter's basilica during the weekend of his beatification, has now been moved to a final resting place in the chapel of St. Sebastian.

The final resting place of the newly beatified Pope is marked with a simple marble tombstone, inscribed Beatus Ioannes Paulus PP II. The chapel of St. Sebastian is located near the main door of the basilica, just past Michelangelo's Pieta.

John Paul II, a Global Pope

It could be said that John Paul II was the first “global Pope” in the sense that throughout his almost 26 year pontificate he was able to visit local churches and peoples on the five continents from one part of the globe to the other.

In his Introduction to JOHN PAUL II - A tribute from Benedict XVI on occasion of the beatification. Giovanni Cardinal Lajolo writes, "This spiritual, intellectual, and also physical commitment can only instill a great sense of admiration."

He continues, "This exhibit dedicated to him as a homage by Benedict XVI on the occasion of John Paul II’s beatification shows only some of the moments in the life of this great Pontiff. Although there are many other facets and events, also significant, it is not possible to show them all here. These other events include: the many Heads of State he received, the Ambassadors who presented their letters of credence, the many eminent political, social and cultural leaders received in audience. And yet, even more, he met so many humble persons to whom he offered paternal and fraternal words of friendship, consolation, encouragement, and hope, which had an unforgettable impact on their lives."

Visit our Facebook Fan Page for photo albums from our Rome visit including our Sunday visit to the Vatican.

More Photos:  Pope John Paul II Exhibit Photo Album


Additional References

John Paul II Tribute Site
John Paul II Beatification Site
Vatican City State Site

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

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