Concert to mark Pope's beatification

MUMBAI: The formal beatification ceremony of Pope John Paul II is being held today at the Vatican, which means that he is one step away from sainthood.
The news of the beatification has gladdened the hearts of his many admirers in India, who fondly remember his visit to India in 1986. Mount Carmel’s Church in Bandra held a vigil on Saturday night and will hold a youth concert on Sunday evening to mark the occasion.John Paul’s wooden coffin was removed from its tomb on Friday and will be kept at the Basilica at the Vatican for the beatification ceremony.
Born Karol Józef Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland in 1920, John Paul II was Pope from October 1978 to April 2005. While he has been acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century and improved the Church’s relations with Judaism and Islam. However, he has been criticized for some of his policies, considered by many to be conservative.
Fr Warner D’Souza of Mount Carmel’s Church feels that John Paul II was the greatest Pope in recent times. “My social work has been inspired by him,” he said.