Polish church to receive John Paul relic

A vial of blood from Pope John Paul II will be installed as a relic in a Polish church soon after his beatification later this year.

It will be encased in crystal and built into the altar of the church in the southern city of Krakow that is opening in May.

The blood was drawn for medical tests at Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic shortly before John Paul’s death on April 2, 2005.

The church is part of a centre that will be devoted to cultivating the memory and the teaching of the late Pope – who was born Karol Wojtyla in Wadowice, southern Poland, and spent decades in Krakow.

Many Catholics are rejoicing over the Pope’s announcement last week that he will beatify John Paul on May 1. Beatification is the last major step before possible sainthood.

After John Paul’s death, some Polish officials said they hoped his heart would be removed and returned to his homeland for burial. However, church officials dismissed any possibility of dismembering the body, calling the practice arcane.