2011-04-29 16:12:08

Holy Land bishops’ 10-day programme on John Paul II’s beatification


(April 29, 2011) Describing Pope John Paul II as “a man of faith, dialogue and peace, a brave witness and a suffering man”, the Catholic bishops of the Holy Land have sent a letter to their faithful with a 10-day calendar of events to celebrate the beatification of the late pope in the Vatican on Sunday. “We, who met him, a pilgrim in the Holy Land, a man of faith, dialogue and peace, who have listened to his confident and comforting words of faith of hope, with whom we spoke of the joys, sufferings and hopes of our dioceses and of our people, cannot afford to let such an important event go by without experiencing it and commemorating the future Blessed John Paul II”, they wrote. The celebrations that began on Friday will continue until May 8th, and will be held in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Amman, Jordan. They include an organ concert, Eucharistic and Marian vigils, art exhibitions and a youth meeting in Jordan on Saturday, the eve of the May 1 beatification. On May 1st, the beatification Mass will be watched live on TV in Jerusalem. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is scheduled to follow the ceremony at Bethlehem’s John Paul II Foundation. That day Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal will also celebrate a Mass in honour of Blessed John Paul II. The 10-day programme will also include a workshop in which Christians, Jews and Muslins will discuss “John Paul II, a man of peace and dialogue”.







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