Manila Cathedral celebrates birthday of Pope John Paul II

In this April 7, 2018
photo, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle kisses the relics of St. John Paul II during a welcoming mass at the Manila Cathedral. The relic contains a vial of St. John Paul II’s blood, extracted when he once had emergency transfusions when he was still alive.
INQUIRER file photo / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

The Manila Cathedral celebrated the birthday of Saint Pope John Paul II on Friday, May 18, by holding a public veneration of the late Pontiff’s blood relic.

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The vial of the late Pope’s actual liquefied blood was open for veneration from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the cathedral.

This was the second time the blood relic was open for public exposition and veneration. The first one was held on April 7 when a welcome mass was presided by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

READ: Tagle to Filipinos: Be living witnesses of Jesus where ever you go

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On the other hand, a mass to be presided by Fr. Joel Jason of the Archdiocese of Manila’s Ministry for Family and Life would be celebrated at 9:00 a.m. on the following day, May 19.

A public exposition and veneration of the late Pontiff’s blood relic would follow until 8:00 p.m.

The last day of the veneration would be on Sunday, May 20, from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The relic was donated to the Manila Cathedral by the late Pope’s former secretary, Polish Cardinal Stanislaus Dziwisz.

John Paul II, or his birth name Karol Józef Wojtyla, was born in Wadowice, Poland on May 18, 1920. He served as Pope from 1978 to 2005. /jpv