VATICAN CITY, 3 MAY 2011 (VIS) - The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., announced the following notice late yesterday afternoon.
"This afternoon, after St. Peter's Basilica was closed to the public, the personnel of the Fabric of St. Peter's began work to transfer the remains of Blessed John Paul II, placing his wood coffin under the altar of the Chapel of St. Sebastian.
The procession from the sacristy began around 7:15pm and was made up of the officiants, the College of Penitentiaries of St. Peter's, the Chapter of the Basilica, various archbishops and bishops, and nine cardinals. The archpriest of the basilica, Cardinal Angelo Comastri, presided. After an initial pause for prayer before the confessional of the basilica, the litanies of the holy pontiffs were sung and the procession continued to the altar of St. Sebastian where the wood coffin containing the remains of John Paul II were placed under the altar, where it remains visible. At the end of the litanies, after the invocation "Beate Ioanna Paule" was sung three times, the prayer proper of the new Blessed was recited and the altar was incensed. Following this, the workers of the Fabric placed the white marble tombstone, inscribed with the words "Beatus Ioannes Paulus PP. II", on the opening under the altar. Many of those present repeated the gesture of devotion of kissing the tombstone while the assembly, moved and joyful, dispersed".
Also present were the cardinals Angelo Sodano, dean of the Sacred College, Tarcisio Bertone, secretary of state, Angelo Amato, Giovanni Coppa, Giovanni Lajolo, Giovanni Battista Re, Leonardo Sandri, Franciszek Macharski, and Stanislaw Dziwisz who, like Cardinal Wojtyla, archbishop of Krakow. Also attending were the archbishops Fernando Filoni, Dominique Mamberti, and Mieczyslas Mokrzycki, a personal secretary to Pope John Paul II. The postulator of John Paul II's cause for canonization, Msgr. Slawomir Oder, was also in attendance while among the religious present there was, of course, Sr. Tobiana Sobodka with a few other sisters of the papal apartments.
The brief ceremony concluded at 7:45pm.
As of 7:00 this morning, the faithful entering the basilica will be able to venerate the new Blessed in his final resting place in the Chapel of St. Sebastian".
OP/ VIS 20110503 (360)
"This afternoon, after St. Peter's Basilica was closed to the public, the personnel of the Fabric of St. Peter's began work to transfer the remains of Blessed John Paul II, placing his wood coffin under the altar of the Chapel of St. Sebastian.
The procession from the sacristy began around 7:15pm and was made up of the officiants, the College of Penitentiaries of St. Peter's, the Chapter of the Basilica, various archbishops and bishops, and nine cardinals. The archpriest of the basilica, Cardinal Angelo Comastri, presided. After an initial pause for prayer before the confessional of the basilica, the litanies of the holy pontiffs were sung and the procession continued to the altar of St. Sebastian where the wood coffin containing the remains of John Paul II were placed under the altar, where it remains visible. At the end of the litanies, after the invocation "Beate Ioanna Paule" was sung three times, the prayer proper of the new Blessed was recited and the altar was incensed. Following this, the workers of the Fabric placed the white marble tombstone, inscribed with the words "Beatus Ioannes Paulus PP. II", on the opening under the altar. Many of those present repeated the gesture of devotion of kissing the tombstone while the assembly, moved and joyful, dispersed".
Also present were the cardinals Angelo Sodano, dean of the Sacred College, Tarcisio Bertone, secretary of state, Angelo Amato, Giovanni Coppa, Giovanni Lajolo, Giovanni Battista Re, Leonardo Sandri, Franciszek Macharski, and Stanislaw Dziwisz who, like Cardinal Wojtyla, archbishop of Krakow. Also attending were the archbishops Fernando Filoni, Dominique Mamberti, and Mieczyslas Mokrzycki, a personal secretary to Pope John Paul II. The postulator of John Paul II's cause for canonization, Msgr. Slawomir Oder, was also in attendance while among the religious present there was, of course, Sr. Tobiana Sobodka with a few other sisters of the papal apartments.
The brief ceremony concluded at 7:45pm.
As of 7:00 this morning, the faithful entering the basilica will be able to venerate the new Blessed in his final resting place in the Chapel of St. Sebastian".
OP/ VIS 20110503 (360)
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