BLESSED JOHN PAUL II: Larger Than Life (In More Ways Than One)

Here it is:  the larger-than-life portrait of Pope John Paul II which was hung today in St. Peter’s Square.  I suppose it wasn’t displayed at the May 1 Beatification because it would have obstructed the view of hundreds of the faithful.

At the Beatification ceremony, Pope Benedict read the official decree in Latin: 

We grant that the venerable Servant of God John Paul II, Pope, henceforth be called Blessed and that his feast may be celebrated in the places and according to the regulations established by law, every year on October 22.

According to Zenit, the international news agency which reports news from the heart of the Catholic Church, some 2,300 journalists were on hand to cover the Beatification, and more than 1,300 television stations broadcast the event.