Blood Relic of St. John Paul II unveiled, public veneration scheduled on Divine Mercy Sunday

A most precious artifact on Thursday was unveiled for the first time at the Pope Francis Hall of the Manila Cathedral.

The rector of the historic church Fr. Reginald Malicdem presented the Blood Relic of St. John Paul II, one of the three relics requested by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila in 2017 from the Vatican in preparation for the 60th anniversary of the Manila Cathedral's rebuilding after World War II.

St. John Paul II relic unveiled at Manila Cathedral. Photo: Danny Pata

The relic contains a vial of St. John Paul II's blood, extracted during his twilight days for emergency transfusions. Four vials were left unused; two were kept at the Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital in Rome and the remaining two were given to St. John Paul II's personal secretary, then Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz.

Malicdem shared that they were happily surprised when they learned that Dziwisz was bequeathing the Filipino faithfuls with a vial of the blood.

The vial is encased in an exact copy of the reliquary that was presented during his Beatification in 2011 and Canonization in 2014, crafted by the Fratelli Savi Gioielli.

There are currently six other vials in existence, enshrined at St. Peter's Basilica, the Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital., a pilgrim relic that belongs to the Postulator of the Cause of the Pope, the John Paul II Center in Poland, the National Shrine and Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Malaysia.

In addition to a relic from St. John Paul II, a request for relics from Saint John XXIII, the Pope during the rebuilding of the Manila Cathedral, and Blessed Pope Paul VI, who celebrated Mass at the Manila Cathedral in 1970 were given.

There are numerous other relics housed at the Manila Cathedral, but the acquisition of the Blood Relic is historic. "In the Philippines, it is the only relic in this form," according to Malicdem. Photo: Aya Tantiangco

There are numerous other relics housed at the Manila Cathedral, but the acquisition of the Blood Relic is historic. "In the Philippines, it is the only relic in this form," according to Malicdem.

In the presence of the relic, Malicdem hopes that Catholics would be reminded of St. John Paul II's words, especially those he spoke during his homily during the 1995 World Youth Day Mass at Luneta:

Kayo ay isinugo ni Kristo tulad ng pagsugo sa kanya ng Ama. Salamat at pinakinggan ninyo ang kaniyang Salita. Inaanyayahan ko kayong maging mga lagad ng Ebanghelyo, at mga tagapagtaguyod ng kanyang Kaharian sa inyong mga pamilya, parokya, samahan, at sa bawat bahagi ng inyong buhay bilang mga Pilipino. Nawa'y maging matatag kayo sa pananampalatay at pagmamahal sa inyong kapwa.

Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle will preside over the welcome mass for the relic on Saturday, April 7 at the Manila Cathedral, 9am. The relic will be open for public veneration until 8pm and again on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 8, from 6am to 8pm.

Faithfuls who will attend the mass on Saturday will receive a third-hand relic for free: a piece of cloth touched to the Blood Relic, encased in a postcard.

Third Hand Relic St. John Paul II will be given away to attendees for free on Saturday.

The relic will be stored privately after Divine Mercy Sunday and will be brought out during special occasions, including St. John Paul II's feast day, his birth anniversary, and other days close to his life and the life of the Manila Cathedral.

St. John Paul II papacy began on October 16, 1978 and ended on the day of his death, April 2, 2005. He is the second-longest serving pope and one of the most traveled, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. — LA, GMA News