Blessed John Paul's blood to be part of Mexican peace pilgrimage

(August 18, 2011) Blood belonging to Blessed John Paul II that arrived in Mexico on Wednesday will be exhibited throughout the country as part of a pilgrimage of peace. The pilgrimage begins on August 25, when the blood will be taken from the Vatican embassy to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It will later be taken to more than 90 sites nationwide, including many in dioceses with high rates of violence stemming from organized crime and drug cartel activities. The violence has claimed more than 40,000 lives since December 2006. The capsule of blood, drawn shortly before John Paul's death in 2005, is being sent to Mexico at the request of the Mexican bishops' conference, which expressed hopes that the veneration of the relic, along with a statue of the pope, would promote peace. "With perceptions of a Mexico that has sunk into pain, hopelessness, anguish and revenge, which are a consequence of insecurity, the veneration of the relics will be an opportunity for the baptized and people of good faith to return to the eyes of God and, through the intercession of John Paul II, receive his peace and mercy," the bishops said in a statement. "Blessed John Paul II was, for the majority of Mexico, a man of peace, a missionary of hope whose life was a testimony to the values of the Gospel."