A bronze statue of Pope John Paul II is to be unveiled at the St. Thomas Cathedral in San Thome on Sunday, May 11. The brief ceremony will be conducted by the Papal Nuncio in India, who doubles up as the ambassador of the Vatican.
The full size statue has already been erected in a nook on the northern side of the main entrance to the cathedral. It was donated by the Papal Nuncio’s office in New Delhi.
This event comes in the wake of Pope Francis declaring in Rome recently, the late Pope John Paul II as saint, along with another former Pope, John XXIII.
Following the declaration of sainthood, it was decided to install the statues of the late Pope at the places he had visited on his 1986 tour of India.
Back then, Pope John Paul II had prayed at the cathedral, visited the place which is considered to be the first tomb of apostle Thomas and had celebrated Holy Mass on the Marina beach, behind Gandhi statue.
The May 11 event at the cathedral will take place just before the 9.45 a.m. Holy Mass, said Fr Charles, a priest at the cathedral.
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