The 10-foot high statue of Pope John Paul II in the compound of the Cebu City Archbishop’s Residence has been newly painted in preparation for today’s canonization. A candle light procession will be held here tonight. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Two of the most influential popes in the 20th century will be jointly elevated to sainthood at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Rome at 10:00 a.m. (4:00 p.m. Philippine time) today.
About 1 million pilgrims are expected for today’s double canonization and many were flooding into Rome on Saturday.
The solemn rites will be witnessed by millions more as the event is is covered live by major networks around the world including Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN), ABS-CBN, GMA News TV, and TV5.
The event falls on Divine Mercy Sunday, a celebration instituted by the Pope John Paul II who along with Pope John XXIII will be canonized by Pope Francis.
This will be the first time in church history that two popes will be canonized together and the first time that two living popes will be present during the ceremony.
In Cebu City, a candlelight procession will be held from the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Pedro Calungsod to the 10-foot-tall image of Pope John Paul II inside the Archbishop’s Residence compound in D. Jakosalem Street after the 6:30 p.m. Mass today.
The statue was ordered made by then Cebu Archbishop Julio Cardinal Rosales in September 1981 to commemorate the pontiff’s visit to Cebu.
The image, which was made by Ismael Gulane, was repainted for today’s big event.
Msgr. Ildebrando Leyson, rector of the St. Pedro Calungsod Shrine, said there will also be a three-day thanksgiving celebration starting Monday.
At the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral as well as in other parishes in Cebu, Masses today are dedicated to the two late popes aside from the feast of Divine Mercy.
Relics of the two popes are exposed for public veneration at the Chapel of Holy Relics in Tabor Hills. The chapel in Talamban in Cebu City has reliquaries that preserve hair strands and a blood stain of the late Pope John Paul II as well as a piece of skin of Pope John XXIII who died in 1963.
A Mass will be held at the the IT Park where Pope John Paul II presided over an open air Mass on Feb. 19, 1981 when the space was still mostly vacant as the old Lahug airport.
Apas barangay captain Ramil Ayuman said they will ask the help of City Hall to determine the exact location of the papal altar where a huge cross was mounted for the occasion.
“We’re also planning to pass a resolution requesting officials of IT Park to set aside a place where a chapel can be constructed,” Ayuman said.
He said they plan to put a large cross there to commemorate the papal Mass officiated by John Paul II 33 years ago.
Last week, Archbishop Jose Palma flew to Rome to join thousands of priests, bishops, and cardinals across the world for today’s canonization rites.
Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal was supposed to go as well but decided to stay home due to health reasons and watch the canonization rites on TV.
“I can’t walk far anymore unlike before. I couldn’t join the long procession to the altar with the Holy Father,” said the 83-year-old prelate at his retirement home in Cebu City.
“I was not prohibited by my doctor. He told me ‘it’s up to you (to travel to Rome). It’s at your risk.’ Anway, the Lord knows that I’m already quite old,” he added.
While the two popes differ in style, Vidal said both were holy men who wanted to be close to their flock.
“John XXIII is pastoral while John Paul II is scholastic. But the language of holiness is in their lives. They have a personal dedication to God’s call to serve Him as priests. They likewise opened their lives to the people,” he said.
Vidal was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Cebu by Pope John Paul II in 1981. In 1985, Pope John Paul II named Vidal a cardinal and then appointed him the first Filipino president of the World Synod of Bishops in Rome.
Msgr. Leyson said Cebu will forever be grateful to John Paul II for declaring Pedro Calungsod the first Visayan martyr and later beatifying him on March 5, 2000.
“Pope John Paul II has given us quite a number of gifts. But the greatest of them all is Pedro Calungsod,” said Leyson. Calungsod was declared a saint by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
The leading to the I.T. Park, formerly called Juan Luna Avenue, was renamed John Paul II Avenue in 2012. Along the street is a diocesan seminary named after John XXIII.
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