Manila Cathedral receives relic of St. John Paul II

Good news for Filipino devotees of St. John Paul II.

The Manila Cathedral has received a relic of the much-loved pontiff and saint in the form of a vial of his blood.

The relic was given by Cardinal Stanislaus Dziwisz, archbishop emeritus of Krakow and St. John Paul II’s former secretary.

“The Manila Cathedral received a very precious Christmas gift today!” according to a message posted Monday on the Facebook page of the cathedral also known as the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. “We hope to find a proper reliquary for it soon so that we could expose it for the veneration of the faithful.”

Born Karol Józef Wojtyla, St. John Paul II was the Pope of the Catholic Church from 1978 until his passing in 2005. Considered the most traveled pope in history, he visited the country in 1981 and 1995. He was canonized in 2014.

In his 1981 visit, he celebrated Mass at the Manila Cathedral, whose status he raised to that of a minor basilica.

“It is a great honor for the Manila Cathedral, our Mother Church, to be the custodian of this precious relic, as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the rebuilding of the postwar Cathedral,” the Facebook post added. –Julie M. Aurelio