Fewer devotees visit exhibit of Blessed John Paul II in Davao City college

Despite the buzz surrounding Blessed John Paul II’s impending sainthood on Sunday, an official of his namesake school in Davao City has yet to see a surge in the number of devotees viewing the late pontiff’s relics, which have been put on display as part of a nationwide tour.

Martin Aldebolla, administrative assistant of the John Paul II College of Davao in Matina Aplaya, Davao City, told GMA News Online in a phone interview Tuesday that attendance to the exhibit of the relics has been low since it was opened to the public last Sunday.

“Hindi pa masyadong marami [ang bilang ng] mga taong pumupunta dito. Siguro dahil mas mahaba itong exhibit na ito kumpara doon sa unang beses na nandito yung mga relics,” he said.

Several pieces of the late pontiff’s personal belongings, including his skull cap and part of his cassock, have been made available for public viewing at the college chapel until May 15.

The school previously featured Blessed John Paul II’s relics in an exhibit in December 2011, seven months after he was beatified by then-Pope Benedict XVI. The items were put on display for two weeks.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) earlier said this month’s exhibit is part of the “Totus Tuus Tour” organized by the Office for the Cause for Canonization of Blessed Ivan Merz in the Philippines.

"Totus Tuus" was the pope's apostolic motto that means "totally yours" and expressed his personal consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

CBCP quoted event chairman Bro. Dave dela Cruz as saying there will be two sets of relics, many of which are coming from Poland and Rome.

Although crowd attendance to the exhibit has yet to peak, Aldebolla remains optimistic that more devotees will flock to the school to view the relics in the coming days as the public continues to know more about Blessed John Paul II’s life through the media and the Catholic Church.

“We’re hopeful that more people will come to see [the late pope’s] relics as publicity about this exhibit increases. Encouraging para sa amin na dumarami na yung nagtatanong ng mga detalye tungkol dito simula noong i-feature kami ng GMA Davao,” he said.

The school is set to air a live feed of the late pontiff’s canonization on April 27 for the public to have an opportunity to watch the rites live from the Vatican.

Several hundred thousand pilgrims and a number of heads of state are expected to arrive in Rome to witness the occasion.

The Philippine tour of the late pontiff’s relics began on April 1 at the Radio Veritas Chapel in Quezon City. It will end on June 1 at the St. Paul of the Cross Parish in Concepcion II in Marikina City.

Pope John Paul II developed a close bond with Filipino Catholics and  visited the Philippines twice, in 1981 and in 1995. — RSJ, GMA News