John Paul IIs Body Moved to St. Sebastian Chapel Vatican Says Private Ceremony Was Full of Joyful Emotion May 02, 2011 | 7607 hits VATICAN CITY, MAY 2, 2011 (Zenit.org) .- In a private ceremony that took place after St. Peters Basilica had closed for the day, the remains of Blessed John Paul II were moved a short distance down the nave to the Chapel of St. Sebastian. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi revealed in a statement today that a procession accompanied the wood coffin, led by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of the Basilica, and formed by the College of Confessors of St. Peters Basilica, nine cardinals and several bishops and archbishops. Among the cardinals were Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Benedict XVIs secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Amato, the prefect of the Congregation for Saints Causes, Cardinal Giovanni Coppa, retired nuncio to the Czech Republic, Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State, Cardinal Giovanni Battista, retired prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, retired archbishop of Krakow, and Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the archbishop of Krakow. Also in attendance were Archbishop Fernando Filoni, substitute of the Secretariat of State, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for relations with states of the Secretariat of State, and Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki, the archbishop of Lviv, Ukraine. Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the postulator of John Paul IIs cause for canonization, also attended, as did Sister Tobiana, one of the Polish nuns who looked after the Holy Father, along with several of the other nuns who also assisted the Pontiff. After a first stop for prayer at the main altar of the basilica, where the coffin had been placed since the beatification Mass on Sunday, the procession, singing the Litany of the Saints, arrived at the Chapel of St. Sebastian. The coffin was placed under the altar, and after the Litany of the Saints was completed, the invocation Beate Ioanna Paule was repeated three times, and the coffin was incensed. At that time, the workers of the Fabbrica San Pietro placed a white marble slab over the coffin to enclose it in the altar. The marble was engraved with the words Beatus Ioannes Paulus PP. II. As reported by the Vatican statement, the assembly dispersed with joyful emotion. The Chapel of St. Sebastian is located between the Chapel of the Pieta and the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. The chapel is named after the main figure in the mosaic above the altar, which was completed by Pier Paolo Cristofari. Statues of Pius XI and Pius XII flank the right and left sides of the altar, respectively. Sebastian was the son of a wealthy Roman family. He was educated in Milan and became an officer of the imperial Roman army, and Captain of the Guard. He was a favorite of Emperor Diocletian. During Diocletians persecution of the Christians, Sebastian visited them in prison, bringing both supplies and comfort. He is reported to have healed the wife of a fellow soldier by making the sign of the cross over her. During his time in the army he converted many soldiers and a governor. Charged as a Christian in 288 in Rome, Sebastian was tied to a tree, shot with arrows, and left for dead. However, he survived, recovered, and returned to preach to Diocletian, where the emperor then had him beaten to death. During the 14th century, the random nature of the blak plague caused people to say that the plague was intruduced to thier villages through being shot by natures archers. In desparation they prayed for the intercession of a saint associated with archers, and Saint Sebastian became associated with the plague.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 16:55:13 +0000
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