Nun Altar

Nun Altar

Pilgrims flock to Rome for beatification of Pope John Paul II

The shrines and history surrounding the Vatican City have long made Rome, and Italy, a popular destination for pilgrims from around the world.

This has resulted in a demand for tour operators such as Tangney Tours to organise well-planned  Italian pilgrimages with guides leading pilgrims on visits to splendid historic sites and religious shrines.

And Italy is set to become even more of a draw for spiritual travellers following the beatification of Pope John Paul II.

The popular Pontiff's beatification ceremony took place on Sunday, 1st May when the pontiff's coffin was put on display by the altar of St Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Beatification means that the Catholic Church has given its blessing to the local veneration of John Paul in recognition of a life they deem to have been exemplary in its holiness.

Canonisation – making John Paul, Saint John Paul – would mean that he could be venerated anywhere in the world.

Many would see this as a fitting acknowledgment of the deeds and memory of a man who toured the world to plead for peace and democracy in times which saw many Iron Curtain countries, including his homeland Poland, struggle for greater freedoms after years of oppression.

Pope John Paul became Pope in 1978 and died in 2005, but his memory and deeds are far from forgotten - world leaders from 22 countries were present for the occasion.

It should not be assumed that all Popes are automatically put on the road to sainthood following their deaths; only just over a quarter have been made saints.

Although Pope John Paul II was the longest-reigning Pope of the 20th century, longevity as the Head of the Catholic Church does not guarantee a swift path to sainthood. Pope Pius IX was Pope from 1846 to 1878, making him the longest-serving elected Pope in history, and yet he was only granted saint status in 2000.

In the same year, Pope John XXIII (Pope from 1958 to 1963) was declared a saint.

Will Pope John Paul II be the next Pope to be declared a saint?

The omens look good – the present Pope, Benedict, gave the department which investigates whether a Pope should be a saint, special dispensation to start researching John Paul II's life before the normal five-year 'waiting period' after death had elapsed.

This department – named the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (CCS) – has already interviewed hundreds of people who knew the Pope; all in the name of establishing his holiness and suitability for sainthood.

Criteria for canonisation

For sainthood to be granted, the CSS must also establish that several miracles connected with people praying for intercession from John Paul have occurred.

These miracles, according to Vatican policy, would be proof that the late Pope is now in heaven.

The Vatican's physicians are closely looking into whether Pope John Paul II has already performed one miracle –claims that French nun Sister Marie Simon-Pierrre Normand was cured of Parkinson's disease after praying to the late Pope are being taken very seriously.

Could one of the pilgrims who flocked to Rome for the beatification ceremony have evidence of another miracle?

About the Author

He's Missing WHAT?

The priest in a small Irish village loved the •••• and ten hens he kept in the hen house behind the church. But one Saturday night the •••• went missing! The priest knew that ••••fights happened in the village. Maybe that was the explanation. So he decided to question his parishioners in church the next morning.
During Mass, he asked the congregation, "Has anybody got a ••••?"
All the men stood up.
Flustered, he said, "No, no! That wasn't what I meant. Has anybody seen a ••••?"
All the women except one stood up.
"No, no," he said excitedly, "That wasn't what I meant. Has anybody seen a •••• that doesn't belong to them?"
Half the women stood up.
His face was growing beet red with embarrassment. "No, no," he said, "That wasn't what I meant. Has anybody seen MY ••••?"
Three nuns, two altar boys and two priests stood up.

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There was a guy in this bar he's the only guy in there and then a girl walks in he takes a huge drink of this Magic Beer walks jumps out the window fllys around the building three times comes back in sits down the girl goes holy crap how'd you do that he takes another huge drink of this magic beerd jumps out the building flys around 3 times comes back up and sits down she says bartender get me one of those but first i wanna see you do it again he jumps out the window flys arond the building three times comes in sits back down so she takes a huge drink of this magic beer jumps out the window falls 30 stories and dies the bartender goes superman why do you have to be such a jerk

Fado nun altar.Maria do Ceo