Pledge of devotion to Saint John Paul II encouraged

Church-run Radio Veritas is encouraging the faithful to venerate and profess their pledge of devotion to Saint John Paul II from October 20 to 22 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Our Lady of Veritas Chapel in Quezon City.

Devotees seeking healing and other petitions may visit the image of the popular saint at the chapel. A holy mass will be held at the chapel on October 22, in commemoration of his feast day, which was also the anniversary of the liturgical inauguration of his Papacy in 1978.

“Prayer requests, petitions, thanksgiving, and other intentions offered by devotees will be offered at the holy mass and rosary prayer at the chapel. The Catholic faithful who will pledge their devotion will receive a certificate and a small image of the late Pope,” Radio Veritas said.

Born Karol Józef Wojtyła on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland, he became the first non-Italian Pope in more than 400 years in 1978. He was Pope for 27 years from 1978 to 2005 making him the second longestserving Pope in modern history after Pope Pius IX.

The well-loved Pontiff visited the Philippines twice—in February 1981, when he beatified the first Filipino saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz, and in January 1995, during the World Youth Day celebration.

He died at the age of 84 at the Vatican on April 2, 2005, the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday. He was beatified on May 1, 2011 (Divine Mercy Sunday) in Saint Peter’s Square by Pope Benedict XVI, his immediate successor and was canonized by Pope Francis on April 27, 2014 (also a Divine Mercy Sunday), together with Pope John XXIII.