Pope John Paul II’s Blood to be Displayed in Mexico
The blood of Pope John Paul II will be flown out and displayed in over 100 locations in Mexico next week according to an announcement made by officials on Tuesday.
The blood will be transported and displayed inside a capsule that was filled with the late Pope’s blood after it was drawn from him in a hospital before his death in 2005.
The capsule will be available for viewing in Mexico until mid-December according to the country’s Catholic Bishops Council.
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The display will also include other relics connected to John Paul II including a rendering of his face copied from a mold taken after his death according to officials.
“In the perception of a Mexico plunged into terror, pain, hopelessness, anguish, vengeance and rancor as a result of insecurity and violence… the veneration of the relics will be an opportunity for the baptized and people of good will to turn their eyes to God,” said Rev. Manuel Corral, the council’s public relations secretary to reporters.
The mold along with the capsule of blood will travel more than 13,980 miles making their way around Mexico. They are currently scheduled to arrive in Mexico City on August 17 and will be displayed to the public on August 25.
According to a 2010 census about 84 percent of Mexicans profess to be Catholic.
Pope John Paul II had a close bond with Mexican Catholics and made five trips to the nation during his time as Pope. Church officials expressed their excitement about the relics coming to the country in a statement saying, “John Paul II returns to Mexico.”
“Pope John Paul as much in his words as in his history has always been a pilgrim of peace,” said Bishop Victor Rene Rodriguez Gomez, the Bishops Council’s secretary-general. “The visit of the relics will give us a chance to reflect on these ideas.”
