Pilgrimage to the Beatification of Pope John Paul II.

On the second Sunday of Easter, May 5, 2011, the late Pope John Paul II's beatification will take place at 10 a.m. on St. Peter's Square in Rome. Pilgrims from the Czech Republic will be accompanied by a delegation of Czech and Moravian bishops to participate in the celebration.

Prague/Vatican: The programme of John Paul II's beatification opens with a vigil at the Roman Circo Maximo on Saturday, April 30. It will be led by cardinal Agostino Villani, the vicar general of the Diocese of Rome. John Paul II will be beatified on Sunday, May 1, during a ceremonious service lead by the current Pope Benedict XVI. The next day, a thanks-giving service will follow on St. Peter's Square at 10:30 and at 4 p.m., a national mass for the Czech pilgrims will be celebrated with the archbishops of Prague and Olomouc, Dominik Duka OP and Jan Graubner.

A pilgrimage to Rome from the Czech republic is organized for all interested by the Pilgrimage Centre at the Bishopric of Hradec Králové (Poutní centrum při Biskupství královehradeckém). 'The estimated number of pilgrims from the Czech republic is between 300 and 500. Should the interest grow, it would be a good expression of fellowship with the world church – our contractual travel agencies can serve all applicants.' said Hana Frančáková, a representative of the Pilgrimage Centre. The Centre has also prepared a special train which will be available to pilgrims from the Czech republic as well as from neighbouring countries.

More information for the pilgrims is to be found on the Diocese of Hradec Králové website or via the following contacts:

Land mail: Biskupství královehradecké, Poutní centrum, Nr. 195, 569 11, Koclířov u Svitav

E-mail: recepce@cm-fatima.cz.

Phone numbers: +420 461 543 164, +420 731 646 800, +420 731 598 752

In view of the upcoming beatification of John Paul II, the vicar general of the Diocese of Rome organizing the event has launched a special website dedicated to it.

A number of events are going to take place in the Czech Republic in connection with John Paul II's beatification. One of them will be a evening with the Półtawskis, a married couple who are close friends of John Paul II, on April 27, 2011 at 6 p.m. in the Cardinal Beran Hall of the Archbishop Palace. The evening is organized by the Paulínky publishing house and the Polish Institute under the patronage of the Prague Archbishop Dominik Duka OP.