February 17 - Pope John Paul II arrives in the Philippines for his first official visit to the country as Pope. He is met at Manila International Airport by Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin and President Ferdinand Marcos, who had “lifted” martial law ahead of the visit.
The Catholic Church makes saints to give the faithful role models. The process is cloaked in secrecy and open to criticism, given that it deals with science-defying miracles and notoriously politicized choices.
Pope John Paul II might have beatified more than a thousand martyrs and holy men and canonized almost 500 during his papacy but his canonization, along with that of Pope John XXIII on Sunday, will be only the first of a Pope in 60 years.
Tucked in a dark shelf somewhere in the Archdiocesan Office of Communication of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila in Intramuros is a mint-condition back issue of Penthouse magazine.
Kneeling in a pew flanked by relics and memorabilia of the late Pope John Paul II, a young mother scribbled a prayer on a small envelope, pleading that her child grow up to be smart and be accepted by its estranged father.
Nowadays, there are so many pressing issues in our country, such that the importance of families is overlooked. But as Pope John Paul II said, as quoted by Jollibee Foundation president Grace Tan Caktiong, “As family goes, so goes the nation. As nations goes, so goes the world in which we live all.”
Tens of thousands of devotees of Our Lady of La Naval will participate in the grand procession in Quezon City today at 4 p.m.
The homilies given by Blessed John Paul II during his visit to Manila on Jan. 12-16, 1995, for World Youth...
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