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Pope John Paul II's Blood Goes On Tour, With Planned Stops In Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore


John Paul II Shrine
A closer view of the relic of St. John Paul II — at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
[ https://www.facebook.com/JP2Shrine/photos/a.755284371183491.1073741833.473771116001486/755284681183460 ]

By Ed Mazza
Posted: 06/18/2014 2:23 am EDT Updated: 06/18/2014 2:59 am EDT

A vial containing the blood of Pope John Paul II [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/27/pope-francis-saints-john-paul_n_5221368.html ] -- now St. John Paul II -- is going on tour, starting with a visit to Boston's Cathedral of the Holy Cross [ http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/06/17/why-vial-pope-john-paul-blood-coming-boston-this-weekend/8fZzkBrlfgEhaRyJer1oJM/story.html ] this weekend.

The blood is from the Saint John Paul II National Shrine [ http://www.jp2shrine.org/en/index.html ] in Washington, and is housed in an elaborate reliquary.

The relic was given to the Knights of Columbus, which established the shrine in 2011. The shrine's website explains the design of the reliquary [ http://www.jp2shrine.org/jp/en/canonization/blood_relic.html ] housing the blood:

At the center of the reliquary is a glass ampoule that contains the Holy Father’s blood, which remains in a liquid state. Surrounding the relic is a nimbus decorated with 12 red stones representing the Twelve Apostles and with rays projecting downward. The design evokes John Paul II’s homily during the Mass dedicating the Divine Mercy Shrine on August 17, 2002. Citing the Diary of Saint Faustina, he said, “From here there must go forth ‘the spark which will prepare the world for [Jesus’] final coming.’ This spark needs to be lighted by the grace of God. This fire of mercy needs to be passed on to the world.” The late pope’s likeness is depicted just beneath the relic, and at the base of the reliquary in silver is a relief of his coat of arms. The reliquary was crafted by Wieslaw Domanski, a member of Saint Brother Albert Council 14332 in Lublin. An identical reliquary is kept at the John Paul II Shrine in Krak?w.

“We pray that those who come to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross this weekend will be inspired to carry out great works of mercy [ http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/06/17/john-paul-relic-coming-boston/okedCLLn1Qq7zQ04SOuuJP/story.html ] through evangelization as the Holy Father exemplified during his years as Pope and priest,” Cardinal Seán O’Malley said in a statement cited by the Boston Globe.

The paper notes that the tour begins in Boston because in 1979, it was the first U.S. city where Pope John Paul II said mass.

A number of relics containing the late pontiff's blood are on display at shrines around the world. One housed at the Church of San Pietro della Ienca [ http://www.sanpietrodellaienca.it/ ] in Italy was stolen in January [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/27/pope-john-paul-ii-relic-stolen_n_4673496.html ].

It was quickly recovered by police [ http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/31/22522854-stolen-blood-of-pope-john-paul-ii-recovered-by-police ].

Many Catholics venerate the relics of saints as well as those related to Jesus Christ. These relics come in three classes: A first-class relic is from the body of a saint, a second-class relic is something used by a saint while a third-class relic is one that has been touched by a first-class relic, explained Father William Saunders, dean of the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom, on the website of the Catholic Education Resource Center.

"These relics summon us to appreciate more profoundly not only the heroic men and women, boys and girls who have served the Master so selflessly and generously, but especially the love and mercy of the Almighty who called these His followers to the bliss of unending life in His eternal kingdom [ http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0331.html ]," he wrote.

After visiting Boston, the blood relic will be taken to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on July 12-13, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia July 19-20 and Baltimore at a date and location to be determined.

Copyright ©2014 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/18/pope-john-paul-ii-blood-tour_n_5505894.html [with comments]


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Exhibit portrays Kim Kardashian as Jesus, the Virgin Mary and a Satanic priestess


Kim Kardashian the Virgin Mary? The reality star is the basis of an exhibit called, 'The Passion of Kim Kardashian.'


Local clergy called the portraits of Kardashian decked out in religious iconography distasteful.


Kunkle said Kardashian is 'almost a patron saint of pop culture.'

The show 'The Passion of Kim Kardashian' opened in Bushwick last week. Artist Hannah Kunkle, who created the artwork, said she's 'strangely fascinated' with Kardashian. But local clergy are not impressed.

BY Natalie Musumeci, Christian Zhang, Denis Slattery, Dareh Gregorian
Wednesday, June 18, 2014, 6:28 PM

Yeezus H. Khrist!

A Brooklyn art gallery held an exhibit portraying Kim Kardashian as Jesus - and the Virgin Mary.

The show, "The Passion of Kim Kardashian," opened in Bushwick last week, flummoxing local clergy.

They called the portraits of Kanye West's better half decked out in religious iconography distasteful.

Father Michael Perry of Our Lady of Refuge Church in Flatbush called the show "dumb and stupid."

"Everyone knows who Kim Kardashian is and I don't care who she is. She has no impact on my life at all," Perry said.

But the pastor also had some kind words for artist Hannah Kunkle's artwork.

"They are gorgeous photos. They are well thought out," he said.

Pastor Reggie Stutzman of Real Life Church in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx was less forgiving, and was particularly offended after seeing one of the portraits of the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star wearing a crown of thorns with a cross behind her.


Artist Hannah Kunkle's paintings of Kim Kardashian in religious motif have confused and bothered local clergy.

"Leave Kim and Jesus separate," the pastor said. "To cross so many lines and actually imagine her with a cross, which is the most important thing Jesus did, is inappropriate. There are other ways to depict that imagery without combining those images."

"It's deplorable," said Stutzman, who is trying to raise funds to convert a Bronx strip club into a church. "It's sacrilegious, irrelevant, and disrespectful. . . It's idol worship."

The one-night show of photoshopped Kardashian images was held at Palisades 906, and also included images of Kardashian as a Satanic priestess, a trio of nuns, Joan of Arc and a Hindu goddess. In one of the Hindu portraits, she's wearing a necklace decorated with the head of her husband, who's also known as "Yeezus."

"I am certainly not happy about this," said Dr. Uma Mysorekar, of the Hindu Temple Society of North America in Flushing. "Any religious symbol should not be used or abused."

"They are images for worship not for display or to be used to just bring ones fame up. It's distasteful," she said.

The show also featured organ music and incense, and included a display of prayer candles adorned with the images.

Kunkle, 23, said she thought the religious leaders' outrage was "pretty hilarious."

"I'm sorry if that offends them, but that's really not my purpose," she said.

"It's art. It's supposed to be wild and, not offensive, but prying."

She said she's not religious herself, but, "Religious idols are so beautiful to me, so I wanted to make my own that apply to me. Those images are so powerful - it gives power to the idea of worshiping her."

"I've never got haters before," the Pratt Institute grad said. "I love it."

She said she's "strangely fascinated" with Kardashian.

"I think she is almost a patron saint of pop culture," she said. "She's everywhere."

She told VICE earlier this year that, "Kim Kardashian is God. She's crazy bodacious and has the nose job of an angel. I don't know if she's omniscient, but no one can deny she's omnipresent."

John Gribowich, 35, a seminarian for the Diocese of Brooklyn who earned his masters in art history from Pratt, said the artwork "confuses" him.

"I don't know what the intention is by the artist," he said. "Here [Kardashian] is as portraying Christ, here she is portraying the Blessed Mother, and then there's a demonic image of her. I don't know how you can be all of those things. It doesn't make sense."

"It's taking things from lots of different traditions and things that are contradictory and you're doing it all in one exhibition," he said.

"I think there is a cohesiveness to the art," he said. "But I don't walk away thinking Kim Kardashian is a goddess."

© Copyright 2014 NYDailyNews.com

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/exhibit-portrays-kim-kardashian-jesus-virgin-mary-article-1.1835160 [with comments]


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Which Churches Are the Most Activist of All? New Study Findings May Surprise You [or not: Catholic -- far and away mostly anti-choice/anti-contraception lobbying/etc.]
06/17/2014
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-briggs/which-churches-are-the-mo_b_5503940.html [with comment]


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