MANILA — An official of the Manila Cathedral has reminded the faithful to observe proper respect and decorum when they venerate the blood relic of St. John Paul II which would be on display in Intramuros, Manila this weekend.
Fr. Reginald Malicdem, rector of the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception said taking selfies with the relic would not be prohibited as long as the public would behave while venerating on the saint’s relic.
“One must know that this is not just a museum piece, this is the presence of a holy man, we should pray for us to be closer to God,” he said at the press conference and unveiling of the relic at the Pope Francis hall in Manila Cathedral on Thursday.
“We will not restrict them from taking selfie, but they should observe proper respect and decorum before the presence of a holy person,” the Catholic priest added.
Malicdem noted that the reliquary that holds the blood of St. John Paul II would be formally welcomed at 9 a.m. Saturday, with a mass to be celebrated by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.
“After that, there will be special occasions such as days significant to his life and that of the Manila Cathedral, where it will be again publicly exposed for veneration,” he said.
“(On) his feast day every year, October 22, we will expose the relic for veneration, maybe other special occasions related to his life and papacy. Last April 2, his death anniversary, could be one of the days, another possible day is the day he celebrated Mass in the Manila Cathedral, February 22,” Malicdem added.
The Cathedral official said that they would be giving out 2,000 pieces of prayer card of the saint to devotees who would go to the basilica on Saturday.
He said that towards the end of Pope John Paul II’s life, with complications from Parkinson’s disease, doctors extracted the blood from him, in case of emergency transfusion.
“The blood is in liquid state because of an anti-coagulant substance present in the test tubes at the moment of extraction,” the Manila priest said.
Aside from the Philippines, there are other six vials of the liquid blood enshrined in different churches around the world.
Saint John Paul II visited twice the country when he was still a pope – in February 1981 and January 1995 during the World Youth Day celebration. (PNA)
